US 7267820

US Patent 7267820, titled "Neurotransmission disorders," has a current assignee of Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften eV and Oxford University Innovation Ltd. The inventors are Angela Vincent and Werner Hoch. The patent was filed on June 15, 2001, and issued on September 11, 2007.

Abstract:
The patent discloses a method for diagnosing neurotransmission or developmental disorders in a mammal by detecting autoantibodies to an epitope of the muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) in a bodily fluid from the mammal. One method involves contacting the bodily fluid with MuSK or its antigenic determinant and then detecting any formed antibody-antigen complexes, where the presence of these complexes indicates the mammal is suffering from such disorders. The patent also describes kits for use in diagnosing these neurotransmission and subsequent developmental disorders.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for diagnosing neurotransmission or developmental disorders that are specifically related to muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) in a mammal. The method involves identifying the presence of autoantibodies targeting an epitope of MuSK within a bodily fluid of that mammal.
• Claim 7: This claim details another diagnostic method for MuSK-related neurotransmission or developmental disorders. It involves introducing a labeled MuSK protein or a labeled part of it (an epitope or antigenic determinant) to a mammal's bodily fluid. After that, any complexes formed between the labeled MuSK and antibodies from the bodily fluid are immunoprecipitated. The detection of the label on these complexes indicates the mammal has the disorder.
• Claim 12: This claim specifies a method for diagnosing neurotransmission or developmental disorders that are particularly related to interference in the agrin/MuSK/AChR pathway within a mammal. The diagnostic step involves detecting autoantibodies against an epitope of MuSK in a bodily fluid from the mammal.

The patent's legal status is listed as "Expired - Lifetime," with an expiration date of November 3, 2022. Due to its expired status, it is highly unlikely to find active litigation concerning infringement of this patent in 2026. Previous litigation activity related to this patent has been noted, including cases filed in the U.S. Supreme Court (case 19-430), the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (case 17-2508), and the Massachusetts District Court (cases 4:15-cv-40075 and 1:15-cv-40075). As of April 26, 2026, a search for 2026 dockets in the CAFC for US patent 7267820 did not return any new active litigation cases for the specified year.