UMass gets boost from intellectual property

BOSTON – The University of Massachusetts ranked eighth in the nation in generating income from the licensing of faculty-derived discoveries and products, according to a report from the Association of University Technology Managers.
The report, covering fiscal 2009, said UMass generated $70.55 million in technology-transfer income in fiscal 2009, executing 50 technology licenses and options and creating one startup company, the university said.
The university’s intellectual property income rose dramatically in fiscal 2009, fueled by a $30 million upfront payment from Merck & Co. Inc., to license a human monoclonal antibody combination for clostridium difficile infection – a treatment developed at the Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories, which is part of UMass Medical School. &#8226