Integra acquires IP of Eunoe

Integra LifeSciences, of fame in the Supreme Court case Merck v. Integra, announced Sept. 29 that it has acquired the intellectual property estate of Eunoe, Inc. Prior to ceasing operations, Eunoe, Inc. was engaged in the development of its innovative COGNIShunt(R) system for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients. The COGNIShunt(R) system was evaluated under an FDA Investigational Device Exemption.

"The acquisition of the Eunoe intellectual property estate and clinical trial data considerably extends our technology base relevant to the management of conditions that require regulation of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) flow within the brain. The traditional application of this technology is for the treatment of hydrocephalus, which is currently one of our key markets," said Simon Archibald, Ph.D., Integra's Chief Scientific Officer. "The core of Eunoe's approach is the modulation of the chemical environment experienced by neurons in the ageing brain. The COGNIShunt(R) system is intended to regulate a low but steady flow of CSF from the brain. The increased CSF flow is intended to stimulate CSF production and thereby improve clearance of neurotoxins, which are believed to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease, from the CSF. The team at Eunoe published the promising results from their Phase I/II feasibility studies in the Oct. 22, 2002 issue of the journal Neurology."

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In the Supreme Court case, the IP rights asserted by Integra had been acquired from a third party. If (hypothetically) Integra loses the case on remand, the type of activity of Integra would be discouraged. Anyone could do FDA-related research on anyone else's patents. Given the length of time required to meet regulatory requirements, the patent lifetime would likely expire before a product was ready for market.