The World Health Organization has launched a public consultation on its compromise proposal for a "biological qualifier" (BQ) that could be assigned to all biological substances with an international non-proprietary name (INN). The BQ, which would identify the manufacturer and manufacturing site of the active substance, would apply to all substances, regardless of whether the branded product was an originator or a biosimilar drug.

PolyTherics’ European patent for its TheraPEG PEGylation technology (www.scripnews.com, 22 June 2009) is indeed a significant milestone for the company. With allowance of the US TheraPEG patent expected “very soon”, all products incorporating the TheraPEG technology will be protected throughout their development and once they reach the market. This will not only secure commercial freedom for those products but, going forward, it will also generate licensing and royalty revenues for PolyTherics.

The World Health Organization's INN secretariat is to look at definitions for glycoproteins, such as erythropoietins, and will set up an expert group to review the naming of monoclonal antibodies, says the summary of its 46th meeting, which was held in April.

New technologies to characterize and manipulate carbohydrate chemistries and the glycosylation of proteins are spawning viable business models that address what scientists have long known: the sugar coating of proteins and cells is not decorative.