Eugene Goldwasser, Biochemist Behind an Anemia Drug, Dies at 88

By ANDREW POLLACK

Amgen patented the Epo gene, barely beating out another company, and through litigation has preserved its monopoly for more than 20 years.

Some companies wanting to sell their own versions of Epo have complained that by choosing to work only with Amgen, Dr. Goldwasser, whose research was financed by the National Institutes of Health, had essentially privatized public property. In his 1996 essay, Dr. Goldwasser said he had gotten permission for this from the N.I.H.

Dr. Goldwasser continued research on Epo, retiring from the university in 2002.


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