Roche sues Biogen over royalties related to multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri

Forty years ago, Genentech developed a process for manufacturing antibodies that proved lucrative for the company as many biopharma firms lined up to license the technology. Referred to as the “Cabilly patents” and named for scientist Shmuel Cabilly, the technology allowed Genentech—and later its parent company Roche—to erect a toll booth of sorts that generated royalty payments of an estimated $1 billion annually.