Harness IP principal Glenn Forbis has advised Maravilla LLC, a joint venture between Harness IP client MacuHealth and Mexican carotenoid developer IOSA, in its IP acquisition of nearly 50 patents and trademarks owned by the Howard Foundation. The intellectual property portfolio focuses on eye and brain health.

Frederic Jouhet, president of the Avantius Group and co-manager of Maravilla, said the acquisition of the Howard Foundation’s portfolio will enable MacuHealth, a wholly owned subsidiary of Avantius, “to secure our foothold in the carotenoid-based supplement industry and manage current and upcoming scientific breakthroughs behind our line of products.”

The patents and trademarks were the result of over three decades of top-level research by the late Dr. Alan Howard, a pioneering researcher in the fields of coronary heart disease and its relation to obesity and eye and brain nutrition. The contents include innovations relating to age-related macular degeneration, visual performance, cognitive function, visual health, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and several applications at different stages of approval.

This transaction is particularly noteworthy and has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, M & A Navigator, BioSpace, and several other media outlets.

Forbis has long provided IP counsel to Avantius and its subsidiaries. Avantius maintains a unique portfolio of products focused on proactive, consumer wellness solutions developed and proven with peer-reviewed scientific evidence.

Forbis’ practice is centered primarily on IP litigation matters. He is particularly valued for understanding each client’s specific goals and technology, as well as for the early development of a focused strategy. He is based in the firm’s Metro Detroit office.

 

 

 

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Harness IP is celebrating more than 100 years as an intellectual property law firm. Founded in 1921, the firm currently holds a No. 2 ranking from IAM Media for providing counsel to 44 companies with the largest portfolios of issued U.S. patents. The firm also ranks No. 6 for filing the most patent applications on behalf of those companies. Harness IP’s attorneys and IP professionals focus exclusively on patents, trademarks, global IP management, litigation and other IP rights. The firm has offices in metropolitan Dallas, Detroit, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Visit www.harnessip.com for more information.