Biopure patent upheld by EPO

Biopure has successfully defended European challenge to a patent governing purification of its artificial blood substitute. Biopure said on Monday that it defended the challenge filed in the EPO involving a way it removes bad proteins from its main product. The ruling gives Biopure patent protection in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Switzerland's Octapharma AG had challenged the patent process.