Athen's biotech company settles chicken cloning lawsuit

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Posted 7:06AM on Saturday, July 20, 2002

ATHENS, Ga. - Three biotechnology companies have resolved a trade-theft dispute that involved a race to clone the first chicken and reap the lucrative profits from it. Athens-based AviGenics, the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh, Scotland, and its partner firm, Florida-based Viragen agreed July 15 to dismiss all lawsuits filed in the case, which involved a claim that one of Roslin's scientists stole AviGenics' ideas on chicken cloning. Ed Trolley, an attorney for AviGenics, said the company got assurances that scientists from the other two companies won't use AviGenics' business plan or the patented gene transfer invention it developed. AviGenics was founded in 1996 by University of Georgia geneticist Bob Ivarie. The lawsuit claimed that Roslin scientist Helen Sang "misappropriated" AviGenics' research. Sang served on AviGenics' scientific board for three years but left in 2000, just before Roslin and Viragen began their joint venture. Sang, a pioneer in avian genetic research, has said she learned nothing of scientific value during her time on the board. "This is a huge victory for Roslin, Viragen and Dr. Helen Sang," said Viragen attorney Jim Gale. "This completely exonerates Dr. Sang, and (refutes) the spurious claims that were made against her. They lost at every twist and turn." AviGenics also claimed victory. "The resolution for AviGenics is very satisfactory," Trolley said, adding that it provides the firm "verification that its science is not being used and . . . it allows us to go back to our scientific endeavors." Roslin and Viragen also agreed to drop a federal suit filed in California accusing AviGenics of patent infringement.