Molecular diagnostic patents January to September 1999: part 3 - enabling technology

Roche occupies the number one position in this survey of patent documents published in the first nine months of 1999 that are concerned with the underlying, or enabling, technologies. There is a strong emphasis toward nucleic acid based approaches, and the list of top companies includes those with their own proprietary amplification methods. These technologically active companies are gaining a competitive edge over those that are still focused on the older immunoassay technologies, or those that have no underlying technology R&D of their own.