Cell Therapy

We are delighted to be working with innovative companies and academic institutions in the exciting field of cell therapy. We leverage our huge depth of experience in the fields of monoclonal antibody technology, cellular biology, immunology and regenerative medicine to build robust, investable patent portfolios for our clients in this space. While applying our wealth of existing knowledge, we are also alive to the fact that new technologies require fresh thinking and an innovative approach to patent protection.

We understand the importance of considering the practicalities of the production and administration of the therapeutic agent(s) at the earliest possible stage, and work with closely with our clients to understand that fine details of the technology and develop an appropriate supporting global patent strategy. For example, in the field of adoptive cellular therapy, strategy for protecting an autologous cell therapy, in which the therapeutic ‘product’ to be administered is a personalised product derived from a patient’s own cells requires a different approach to protecting an allogeneic cell therapy (towards which the field is increasingly moving), which in some aspects is closer to a traditional ‘off-the-shelf’ product.

We have considerable experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to innovative cell therapies, including for novel CAR/TCR molecules, new platform approaches and innovations relating to the production, expansion and medical use of cell therapies. As earlier generation products continue to mature through clinical trials, we also help our clients to protect innovation throughout the product lifecycle, for example with patent applications related to personalised medicine or new dosage regimes. We also help our clients to navigate the dynamic and increasingly complex patent landscape in the field of cell therapy, strategising with them to minimize the risk presented by patents held by third parties.

Mewburn Ellis is very proud to be working with the entities operating right at the cutting edge of innovation in this exciting field, developing the new platform technologies, designing novel recombinant molecules (CARs, TCRs, etc.) and moving into new disease frontiers (solid cancers, autoimmune disease, viral disease), that will re-shape the therapeutic landscape for the years to come.

Open Pages of Validation Strategies for Pharmaceutical Patents in Europe Report

Validation Strategies for Pharmaceutical Patents in Europe

Special Report

The decision on where to validate a pharmaceutical European patent is a big one. With costs often precluding an “everywhere” approach for small- to medium-sized companies, research institutions and universities, it is necessary to choose from the long list of available countries. The choice typically factors in costs, business interests, likely markets and market size, possible manufacturing and import locations and the regulatory framework in Europe.

This report explores these choices and factors using publicly available data, seeking to answer questions such as:

  • Which countries are most commonly picked by patent holders at the EPO?
  • Is the distribution the same for pharmaceutical patents?
  • Where does “big pharma” choose to validate?
  • What factors might affect the choice of countries?
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Read our blogs

UPC Weekly - Have a second iron in the fire – hedging PI risk against the same medical device

UPC Weekly - Have a second iron in the fire – hedging PI risk against the same medical device

by Matthew Naylor

2025 Week 46 The last month or so has seen a significant number of decisions on preliminary injunctions (PIs) for medical devices. What’s been noticeable about many of these cases is that they come ...

What does the UK Precision Breeding Act mean for Agriculture?

What does the UK Precision Breeding Act mean for Agriculture?

by Louise Atkins

British agriculture reached a significant milestone on 13 November 2025, when the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 officially came into effect. In combination with the Genetic ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal brings order to the galaxy

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal brings order to the galaxy

by Matthew Naylor

2025 Week 45 This week we report on two recent and important UPC Court of Appeal decisions. Each considers claim interpretation and the relevance of expert and experimental evidence to UPC ...

UPC Weekly - File wrapper bites at the UPC

UPC Weekly - File wrapper bites at the UPC

by Matthew Naylor

2025 Week 44 Claim interpretation at the UPC has been one of the most consistent threads through the decisions coming out of the first instance UPC courts, due in part to an early setting of the ...

UPC Weekly - Secret prior use defence wins the day

UPC Weekly - Secret prior use defence wins the day

by Matthew Naylor

2025 Week 43 When you overlay an international court like the UPC with an array of existing national courts, there are wrinkles that need sorting out. In Heraeus v. Vibrantz, the UPC Local Division ...

Advanced Therapeutics – European Patent Oppositions

Advanced Therapeutics – European Patent Oppositions

by Anna Mudge

We investigated EPO opposition trends in the cell and gene therapy space across five years (2020-2024), using opposition data from the EPO and a combination of IPC codes and keywords.

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Forward Magazines Overlapping 8

Mewburn Ellis

FORWARD MAGAZINE

Mewburn Ellis Forward is a biannual publication that celebrates the best of innovation and exploration. Through its pages we hope to inform and entertain, but also to encourage discussion about the most compelling developments taking place in the scientific and entrepreneurial world. Along the way, we’ll engage with the IP challenges that international organisations face every day.