Intellectual property is of paramount importance in the pharmaceutical sector. While some degree of regulatory protection is available in many markets, patents (and their PTE/SPC extensions) will often provide a considerable commercial & exclusivity uplift for a given asset. With such high value at stake, pharmaceutical patents can often become the target of determined and creative litigation – so insightful and careful drafting and prosecution is particularly important in this area.

Our large team of pharmaceutical IP specialists means that we can offer genuine expertise across all classes of therapeutics, from small molecule drugs and modulators, antibody-drug conjugates and other bifunctional molecules such as PROTACS, to biologics and cell therapeutics including polypeptides, monoclonal antibodies, nucleic acid therapeutics, vaccines, stem cells and cellular immunotherapy.

We know how to support drug development from conception to marketing and have done so for numerous biologics, including Lyxumia® and Nutropin®, for antibody-drug conjugates including Zynlonta®, and for small molecules including a blockbuster anti-cancer drug. As further examples of our work with high-value therapeutics, we have developed and protected the patent portfolios for monoclonal antibodies including Herceptin®, Humira®, Avastin®, Rituxan®, Lucentis®, Xolair® and Perjeta®.

Our attorneys also have expertise in obtaining broad IP protection for novel and emerging classes of therapeutics. For instance, we obtained the first class-level patent protection for aptamers and have since prosecuted over 150 patents related to aptamer technology.

Of course, pharmaceutical IP support can extend long after initial global launch. We recognise the importance patent portfolio building and life-cycle management, and we can support the drafting and prosecution of patents protecting follow-on innovations such as novel methods of synthesis, novel salts and polymorphs, high purity forms, pharmaceutical formulations, combination therapies, dosage regimes and new medical uses.

Our patent attorneys are supported by our specialist Extensions and Exclusivity team made up of experts having many years of experience in SPCs, PTEs and Regulatory Exclusivity, including an experienced IP counsel who previously specialised in this area at a global pharmaceutical company. The team regularly supports clients on strategic commercial exclusivity analysis for their products – taking account of the patent, regulatory and real-world factors in order to guide extensions strategy, before progressing on to the SPC and PTE filings themselves.

Experts in Pharma & Biologics innovations

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NCEs & Synthetic Methods

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Follow-on Pharma Innovation

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Antibodies & ADCs

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Cell Therapy

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Nucleic Acid Therapeutics

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Protein Therapeutics

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Term Extensions & Data Exclusivity

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Meet our specialists

Rob Andrews Profile-1

Partner, Patent Attorney

Scott Armstrong Feb-21

IP Director, Patent Attorney

Sam Bailey Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Rebecca Brooks

Associate, Patent Attorney

Julie Carlisle Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney, Litigator

Chris Casley Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Alex Cavell Feb-21

Associate, Patent Attorney

Richard Clegg Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney, Litigator

Victoria Coleman Feb-21

Senior Associate, Patent Attorney

Sean Constable Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Edward Couchman-1

Associate, Patent Attorney

Jo Cripps Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Chris Denison Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Thomas Driver Feb-21

Associate, Patent Attorney

Graham Forrest Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney, Litigator

Kath Green Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Adam Gregory - September 2023

Partner, Patent Attorney

Susie Harrison Feb-21

IP Director, Patent Attorney

Emily Hayes Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Simon Kiddle Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Tanis Keirstead Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Anja Koller 1

Associate, Patent Attorney

Simon Kremer

Partner, Patent Attorney

Hojae Lee v1

Associate, Korean Patent Attorney

Thomas Lonsdale Feb-21

Associate, Patent Attorney

Eleanor Maciver.-1

Partner, Patent Attorney

Anna Mudge Feb-21

Senior Associate, Patent Attorney

Joseph Newcombe Feb-21

Associate, Patent Attorney

Andrew Pitts Feb-21

Senior Associate, Patent Attorney

Frances Sailsbury - Oct 2022

Partner, Patent Attorney

Nick Sucliffe Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney, Litigator

Satoe Takeda Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Rebecca Tollervey Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Ben Tolley Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Natalie Vaughan Feb-21

Associate, Patent Attorney

Eliot Ward Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Robert Watson Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Rhiannon Wescott Feb-21

IP Director, Patent Attorney

Andrew Williams - Oct 2022

Partner, Patent Attorney

Thomas Wolter

Partner, Patent Attorney

Willum Wytenburg Feb-21

Partner, Patent Attorney

Dan Yin

Associate, Patent Attorney

OUR PEOPLE
SPC Report

Special Report

Pharma and Life Sciences Patent Extensions in Europe

Having compiled and analysed real-world data, this Special Report sets out to provide valuable insights into the following questions that may face decision-makers handling SPC protection for a new drug:

  1. What do the headline SPC statistics tell us?
  2. How to approach the decision of which patent to extend?
  3. What forms of medical technology are being protected by SPCs?
  4. What SPC periods are typically obtained?
  5. How do SPC periods vary with technology type?
  6. How do SPC periods overlay with regulatory protection?
  7. What commercial value can arise from SPCs?
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

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We work at every stage of the IP lifecycle

PROTECT

Drafting, Filing & Prosecution
Portfolio Management
Searching & Watching
Renewals & EP Validations

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DEFEND

Pre-action Advice
Oppositions & Appeals
Litigation
Alternative Dispute Resolution

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EXPLOIT

Strategic Advice
Commercial Issues
Transactions
Corporate Support

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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.

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