University of Iowa gets $19 million in patent suit settlement

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa received $19 million in the recent settlement of a patent lawsuit, UI officials said today.

The UI and the UI Research Foundation filed the suit against Amgen Inc., and various Amgen affiliates.

The suit alleged infringement of biotechnology patents relating to the CMV Promoter-regulatory region, UI officials said. This technology was invented at the UI and assigned to the UI Research Foundation as the manager of UI intellectual property.

In exchange for the financial payment, the university and the UIRF dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice. The suit was filed Sept. 8, 2008 and dismissed March 26, 2009.

Normally, the UI does not announce settlement of cases as there is no requirement to make a public announcement, officials said today in a statement. In this case, Amgen requested the terms of the settlement be kept confidential. As part of the settlement, UI officials agreed to this to the extent allowed by Iowa law.

Consistent with the requirements of the UI's applicable intellectual property policy, the settlement was divided, one-quarter each, to the following: the inventor, the inventor's department, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the UI Research Foundation. The university and UIRF were represented by the Iowa Assistant Attorney General George Carroll and by the national patent litigation firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll.

The firm was paid an hourly rate that was approved by the Iowa Executive Council before the suit was filed. The total fee paid to the firm for the litigation was $586,800.72.

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa received $19 million in the recent settlement of a patent lawsuit, UI officials said today.

The UI and the UI Research Foundation filed the suit against Amgen Inc., and various Amgen affiliates.

The suit alleged infringement of biotechnology patents relating to the CMV Promoter-regulatory region, UI officials said. This technology was invented at the UI and assigned to the UI Research Foundation as the manager of UI intellectual property.

In exchange for the financial payment, the university and the UIRF dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice. The suit was filed Sept. 8, 2008 and dismissed March 26, 2009.

Normally, the UI does not announce settlement of cases as there is no requirement to make a public announcement, officials said today in a statement. In this case, Amgen requested the terms of the settlement be kept confidential. As part of the settlement, UI officials agreed to this to the extent allowed by Iowa law.

Consistent with the requirements of the UI's applicable intellectual property policy, the settlement was divided, one-quarter each, to the following: the inventor, the inventor's department, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the UI Research Foundation. The university and UIRF were represented by the Iowa Assistant Attorney General George Carroll and by the national patent litigation firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll. The firm was paid an hourly rate that was approved by the Iowa Executive Council before the suit was filed. The total fee paid to the firm for the litigation was $586,800.72.