April 28, 2000

Patent on a Painkiller Could Be Worth Billions to the U. of Rochester

By JOHN L. PULLEY

A drug patent awarded to the University of Rochester for a new class of painkillers could generate billions of dollars in royalties for the institution, potentially becoming the most lucrative patent held by a university, officials there have announced.

The patent covers drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors, or superaspirin. A team of Rochester researchers discovered the chemical mechanisms that made development of the drugs possible.

Within hours of