NOS news••Edited
A patent for which Ronald Plasterk has claimed exclusive rights is expected to be granted soon in the United States. Mistakes made by Plastark while applying for patents may also come to light there. Patent expert Goose Rasser disagrees NRC. According to him, this could render the patent invalid and worthless, leading to claims by injured parties against Plastark.
Written by NRC previous Microbiologist Plasterk made millions from patents for cancer treatments after being minister, while another scientist and the Amsterdam UMC left badly. The Amsterdam UMC is investigating the issue in consultation with Plasterk, and does not want to anticipate results even today. “But if more is known, we will report it,” the university hospital told NOS.
Politically conscious
The issue is politically sensitive as ex-informant Plasterk has been named as the new cabinet’s prime ministerial candidate. According to The Hague’s sources, PVV leader Wilders would like him in the post, but the NSC has questions about the patent issue, among others. NSC Chairman Omtzigt and Plasterk are said to have had a conversation yesterday. I don’t know what resulted from that.
According to the NRC, the crux of the problem is that Plasterk falsely claimed to be the sole inventor of certain cancer vaccines in patent applications.
Blasterk says the then-director of AMC (UMC’s predecessor) and another researcher were judged six years ago to be the inventor of this patent application.
A new letter of apology
The NRC also reported today that Professor of Medical Oncology Kees Bunt sent an app to Plasterk yesterday in response to an apology letter to Omdzicht in the T-Telegraph. Omtzigt apologized in the Plasterk Letters section for his statements in a parliamentary debate about the use of his official car.
According to the NRC, Bunt was the head of the Department of Clinical Oncology at the Amsterdam UMC (then AMC) and Plaster was also associated with it. In the application to Plasterk, Bunt reportedly offered suggestions for a new apology letter: “I’m sorry for my dishonesty, and I should not have used the data of my fellow scientists without involving them.” In a response, Blasterk tells the NRC that the claims in the application message are untrue.
The NRC also writes that lawyer Henry Sarolia has personally filed a false report against Plasterk. According to the lawyer, the company’s annual accounts for which Plasterk filed its patent applications were incorrect on several points. Plasterk says that if a deficiency has unexpectedly crept into the annual accounts, it is unintentional and the company seeks support from an accounting firm.
PPV leader Wilders and leaders of other coalition parties VVD, NSC and PPP did not respond to the NRC article today. BBB MP and co-negotiator Henk Vermeer responded. “I guess one is innocent until proven guilty. Or does it depend on the situation and/or political color?” In X.