Ohio University received $8.2 million in fiscal 2010 from licensing technologies that were discovered by its researchers, an increase of 19 percent from last year.
The vast majority of that revenue–about $8 million–came from from Pfizer Corp. from a license for a growth hormone antagonist that became the basis for the drug Somavert, according to a statement from the university. The drug is used for patients with acromegaly, a metabolic disorder that’s a form of gigantism and affects 40,000 people worldwide.
The $8.2 million in revenues makes OU the state’s top public research institution in licensing dollars, according to the statement. By way of comparison, Ohio State University pulled in $1.9 million from licensing in its most recent fiscal year, though that ranks last in the Big 10, Business First of Columbus reported.
The Somavert deal with Pfizer is expected to bring between $8 million and $10 million a year to OU until its European patent expires in 2016. OU also generates licensing revenues from Diagnostic Hybrids Inc., a diagnostic test company that was acquired earlier this year for $130 million by San Diego-based Quidel Corp.
Interthyr Corp., which makes a test for detecting a thyroid disorder called Graves Disease, generated about $20,000 in licensing income last year for OU, but the university hopes that figure grows to millions in the future, Business First reported.
