Stirling, Biosignal strengthen IP positions

Perth-based Stirling Products (ASX:STI) and Sydney's Biosignal (ASX:BOS) have both made important moves to strengthen their intellectual property positions of their key technologies.

The patents for the use of Stirling's growth-promotant ST810 -- a beta-2 agonist which is shortly to enter trials testing its affect on tissue weight gain and carcass quality -- have been transferred to Stirling from Florida's Bridge Pharma. ST810's initial inventor, Florida pharmacologist Dr Gunnar Aberge, is the principal of Bridge Pharma.

In return, Stirling will issue 12 million fully paid shares to Bridge, conditional on shareholder approval at the company's annual general meeting. The new shares will be subject to voluntary escrow for 12 months from the date of issue.

The transaction means that Stirling is not obliged to make cash payments or royalty payments to Bridge for these IP rights.An extension patent application which 'has potential for both new human and animal products' has also been transferred to Stirling

"[The extension patent] is actually quite a significant piece of IP, the one that is relevant to ST810 is that it addresses the lipolytic activity of ST810. This provisional patent is supported by some real life data. Currently it's a provisional patent in the United States, and also under the PCT process," said Stirling managing director Calvin London.

"By the end of the year, we would hope to be in a position where we can announce its full potential. It helps us to provide a much more solid and extensive patent protection for what we already have. The human aspects are along the lines of what we're doing in animals,"

In addition, Stirling has secured patents for the use of ST810 for the treatment of the respiratory condition heaves in horses.

Biosignal gets full rights

Sydney's Biosignal has now been assigned full rights and title to all intellectual property for use of the furanone technology - which prevents bacteria from forming biofilms -- in marine anti-fouling paint. The IP was previously the subject of a collaboration agreement between the University of NSW, Unisearch and another Australian public company, which has now been terminated.

Sea trials for Biosignal's anti-fouling marine paints began recently on the west coast of Norway.