Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technology

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Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technology

• Taehoon Noh

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What is ECL technology?

• Luminescence produced during electrochemical
  reactions in solutions.
• Similar to chemiluminescence where one/all
  reactants are produced electrochemically on the
  electrodes.
• Reactive species are generated from stable
  precursors (i.e., the ECL-active label) at the
  surface of an electrode.

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Chemiluminescence (CL)

• the emission of light (luminescence) with limited
  emission of heat as the result of a chemical
  reaction.
• A B ? Intermediate ? Products
  light
• The decay of the excited state Intermediate to
  a lower energy level is responsible for the
  emission of light.

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Chemiluminescence
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Electrochemiluminescence
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Advantages of ECL

• A highly sensitive and selective method. gt
  selectivity of bound and unbound fractions can be
  based on the ability of labeled species to access
  the electrode surface,
• No radioisotopes are used.
• Measurement is simple and rapid.
• The labels are extremely stable compared with
  those of most other chemiluminescent systems

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Applications of ECL

• In vitro diagnostics testing.
• DNA-probe assays.
• Enzymatic biosensors.

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IGEN vs. Roche

• In 1992, IGEN entered into a technology licensing
  agreement with Boehringer Mannheim (BM), which
  had been sold to Roche Diagnostics.
• For IGEN, it meant additional funding in the
  amount of 50 million and a 9 percent royalty, as
  well as grant-back rights to improvements.
• For BM, it meant an exclusive license to an
  advanced diagnostic technology in a market it had
  yet to penetrate.

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IGEN vs. Roche contd

• BM notified IGEN that its royalties on the first
  10 million in sales equipment was zero.
• While the agreement stipulated that the field of
  use was restricted to laboratories, BM had been
  marketing its products point-of-care facilities,
  such as physicians offices.
• IGEN had expressly reserved this area for its own
  future development.

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IGEN vs. Roche contd

• Over the course of six years of litigation, IGEN
  had been awarded 105 million in compensatory
  damages and 400 million in punitive damages by a
  jury.
• Jury gave IGEN the right to terminate the
  agreement and further to have access to much of
  Roches own technology.
• Eventually, Roche had to purchase IGEN for
  approximately 1.5 billion in order to keep the
  diagnostic technology in order to service its
  nine-thousand customers worldwide.

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Lesson Learned

• It would first and foremost be important to
  ensure that no provisions within the agreement
  were overly restrictive.
• The future is uncertain when early-stage
  technologies are first being developed.
• Limiting ones rights to make use of the
  technology in fields yet to be established should
  be avoided.

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Thank you.