This ann. is not sufficient to move anything. Its a standard...

This ann. is not sufficient to move anything. Its a standard piece of day-to-day activity that every biotech in the world does as a matter of course. Just like pre-clinical testing and ensuring labs operate under GMP conditions and biodistribution studies are incorporated in the IND, getting a patent is little more than a process.

Of course, you have to have patentable subject matter (what biotech wouldn't?) and you need to prosecute the application effectively (or waste time and $$). But if you are able to effectively refute the examiners prior art citations and/or modify your claims, you wait for a somewhat inevitable result.

The ann. is advice. Thats all. And ther'es no way the Chairman would be schlepping off to Munich for this - thats why you have patent attorneys and an internal head of IP.