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Gene Therapy and Longevity: Transforming the Future of Healthy Aging
Katherine Collins - June 13, 2025

Gene Therapy and Longevity: Transforming the Future of Healthy Aging

Building on the success of gene therapies in treating rare diseases, the field is now rapidly ...

5 reasons intellectual property is important for food-tech start-ups
Nick Sutcliffe - June 11, 2025

5 reasons intellectual property is important for food-tech start-ups

Many food-tech start-ups we speak with say they're not too concerned about intellectual property. ...

A Boost for Sustainable Agriculture: The Promise of the US “Plant Biostimulant Act”
Ben Tolley - June 10, 2025

A Boost for Sustainable Agriculture: The Promise of the US “Plant Biostimulant Act”

In a welcome development for sustainable agriculture, United States Representatives Jimmy Panetta ...

New treatments for women’s pain
Fay Allen - June 10, 2025

New treatments for women’s pain

In a previous blog we discussed the gender pain gap and how attitudes and access to treatment of ...

Why women’s health is such a pain: the gender pain gap
Fay Allen - June 3, 2025

Why women’s health is such a pain: the gender pain gap

Many women’s health conditions are associated with pain, for example dysmenorrhea (period pain), ...

Couriers for Cures: The Next Generation of Delivery Methods for Gene Therapy
Katie Dale - May 21, 2025

Couriers for Cures: The Next Generation of Delivery Methods for Gene Therapy

A record number of gene therapies achieved regulatory approval in 2024, transforming how biopharma ...

Bioglass and bio-microlenses: synthetic biology’s leap into optics
Calum Graham - May 8, 2025

Bioglass and bio-microlenses: synthetic biology’s leap into optics

Synthetic biology continues to blur the lines between natural and man-made materials. Recently we ...

AI speaking the language of life will produce life-saving gene therapies (not memes)!
Isabelle Murray - May 7, 2025

AI speaking the language of life will produce life-saving gene therapies (not memes)!

Expression constructs are among the most widely used tools in modern biological research. These ...

Biohaven secures $600M investment to advance life-changing therapies, including for spinocerebellar ataxia
Andrew Pitts - May 2, 2025

Biohaven secures $600M investment to advance life-changing therapies, including for spinocerebellar ataxia

We extend a big congratulations to our client, Biohaven Ltd., on recently entering into an ...

A new sequencing technology extends the NGS revolution
Jennifer Hoang - April 28, 2025

A new sequencing technology extends the NGS revolution

Completed in 2003, the first human genome sequence took 13 years to finish and cost approximately ...

Collecting Birthdays: Unveiling the Secrets of Extreme Human Longevity
Emily Garnett - April 24, 2025

Collecting Birthdays: Unveiling the Secrets of Extreme Human Longevity

When 117-year-old, Maria Branyas Morera died in August last year, she was the world’s oldest living ...

The Easter Bunny in a white coat — lab-grown chocolate
Nick Sutcliffe - April 17, 2025

The Easter Bunny in a white coat — lab-grown chocolate

As Easter approaches, chocolate takes centre stage. Across the world, people look forward to ...

Seeing double: the rise of biparatopic antibodies
Emily Garnett - April 9, 2025

Seeing double: the rise of biparatopic antibodies

It’s no secret that antibody therapies are gaining ever-increasing popularity in the pharmaceutical ...

Crafting IP Strategies for Innovative Biotechs
Adam Gregory - April 3, 2025

Crafting IP Strategies for Innovative Biotechs

Following his conversation with John Joson Ng for Nucleate Singapore Pulse, we speak to Adam ...

Enzyme engineering with AI – the latest chapter (in a long story…)
Simon Kremer - March 28, 2025

Enzyme engineering with AI – the latest chapter (in a long story…)

For those of us who studied Biochemistry at college, the classic active site “catalytic triad” of ...

HutanBio: algae is the fuel of the future
Simon Kremer - March 25, 2025

HutanBio: algae is the fuel of the future

Algae converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into flammable hydrocarbons, offering a like-for-like ...

In vivo Cell Therapy: Breaking Free of the Chains of Ex Vivo Engineering
Adam Gregory - March 19, 2025

In vivo Cell Therapy: Breaking Free of the Chains of Ex Vivo Engineering

In vivo cell therapy is emerging as a groundbreaking approach to reduce the cost and expand the ...

Innovations in antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies – what you need to know - a new special report
Rebecca Tollervey - March 11, 2025

Innovations in antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies – what you need to know - a new special report

We are delighted to release our latest report Innovations in antibody-drug conjugates and ...

Discontinuous Epitope Claims get Green Light in Europe
Edward Couchman - March 11, 2025

Discontinuous Epitope Claims get Green Light in Europe

Patents for antibodies defined by discontinuous epitopes have garnered a lot of attention recently. ...

Hummingbird Bioscience’s multi-payload ADC technology licensed by Callio Therapeutics
Adam Gregory - March 7, 2025

Hummingbird Bioscience’s multi-payload ADC technology licensed by Callio Therapeutics

We are delighted to congratulate our client Hummingbird Bioscience on the successful out-licensing ...

UK's Alternative Protein Sector Takes Major Leap with Landmark Collaboration
Nick Sutcliffe - March 5, 2025

UK's Alternative Protein Sector Takes Major Leap with Landmark Collaboration

In a landmark move for the UK's alternative protein sector, four leading research centres - the ...

Oncolytic Virotherapy (OVT) – A Technology Finally Coming of Age?
Nick Sutcliffe - March 3, 2025

Oncolytic Virotherapy (OVT) – A Technology Finally Coming of Age?

The potential of viruses to selectively infect and kill cancer cells was first recognised over a ...

How AI is Shaping the Future of MedTech - a new special report
Joanna Smith - February 27, 2025

How AI is Shaping the Future of MedTech - a new special report

We are delighted to release our latest report How AI is Shaping the Future of MedTech. View the ...

Revolutionising Immunotherapy: The Promise of TCR T-Cells
Katherine Collins - February 19, 2025

Revolutionising Immunotherapy: The Promise of TCR T-Cells

For the past 10 years or so, the focus in the adoptive T-cell therapy space has been on chimeric ...

Unlocking immortality: the innovations driving human longevity
Sean Constable - February 10, 2025

Unlocking immortality: the innovations driving human longevity

Science has made great strides in dramatically increasing life expectancy. In the 1900s, the ...

A Meaty Victory for Impossible Foods
Adam Gregory - January 30, 2025

A Meaty Victory for Impossible Foods

In decision T 0425/23 of 20 December 2024, the European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeal (BoA) ...

The power of Bioprocess Engineering
Anja Koller - January 16, 2025

The power of Bioprocess Engineering

Microorganisms wield the power to revolutionise industries and address global challenges. These ...

Quantum and the law - a new special report
Joanna Smith - January 14, 2025

Quantum and the law - a new special report

We are delighted to release our latest report Quantum and the law. View the report here.

UPC Weekly - Alexion v Samsung & Amgen – Patentee’s attempted U-turn on claim interpretation foiled by UPC Court of Appeal
Eliot Ward - January 13, 2025

UPC Weekly - Alexion v Samsung & Amgen – Patentee’s attempted U-turn on claim interpretation foiled by UPC Court of Appeal

2025 Week 2 Tailoring one’s claim interpretation for the jurisdiction at hand can be a canny way of ...

Veganuary: can you reference the animal counterpart in the branding of your vegan product?
Rebecca Anderson-Smith - January 13, 2025

Veganuary: can you reference the animal counterpart in the branding of your vegan product?

From This Isn't Bacon Plant-Based Rashers, to Violife Smoky Cheddar Flavour Slices, a quick glance ...

UPC Weekly - UPC transparency by numbers
Matthew Naylor - January 6, 2025

UPC Weekly - UPC transparency by numbers

2025 Week 1 How easy is it to get hold of documents from UPC cases? The easy answer “it depends” is ...

UPC Weekly - Pay to play at the UPC
Matthew Naylor - December 30, 2025

UPC Weekly - Pay to play at the UPC

2024 Week 52 Both Apple and Google have recently succeeded in persuading the UPC Local Division ...

UPC Weekly - The 9 second rule at the UPC
Matthew Naylor - December 16, 2024

UPC Weekly - The 9 second rule at the UPC

2024 Week 50 Does it matter who gets to the doors of the UPC first? Does it matter if you get there ...

UPC Weekly - Very appealing – preliminary injunction overturned
Matthew Naylor - December 9, 2024

UPC Weekly - Very appealing – preliminary injunction overturned

2024 Week 49 SharkNinja have managed to persuade the UPC Court of Appeal to overturn a preliminary ...

UPC Weekly - Front-loading and obviousness at the UPC
Matthew Naylor - December 2, 2024

UPC Weekly - Front-loading and obviousness at the UPC

2024 Week 48 In NJOY v VMR, the UPC Central Division Paris revoked VMR’s patent EP 3456214 B2 on 27 ...

UPC Weekly - UPC finds infringement using a doctrine of equivalents
Matthew Naylor - November 25, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC finds infringement using a doctrine of equivalents

2024 Week 47 Back in June 2024 (UPC Weekly 2024 week 23), we set out a few “known unknowns” – ...

Resistance is futile – how new tech tackles AMR
Emily Lythell - November 21, 2024

Resistance is futile – how new tech tackles AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) refers to the ability of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, fungi, ...

UPC Weekly - UPC dials up the advantages for patentees
Matthew Naylor - November 18, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC dials up the advantages for patentees

2024 Week 46 We report this week on two new UPC decisions that make the UPC an even more attractive ...

Cambiotics: a novel treatment for PFAS ‘forever chemicals’
Eliot Ward - November 13, 2024

Cambiotics: a novel treatment for PFAS ‘forever chemicals’

PFAS are toxic pollutants causing health problems globally. There is currently no treatment. Now a ...

UPC Weekly - NJOY duel with Juul
Matthew Naylor - November 11, 2024

UPC Weekly - NJOY duel with Juul

2024 Week 45 5 November 2024 saw two decisions handed down by the UPC Paris Central Division (CD) ...

AI designer enzymes
Isobel Fisher - November 11, 2024

AI designer enzymes

During the announcement of the first survey of the entire human genome by the Human Genome Project, ...

UPC Weekly - All of the fizz and none of the squeeze
Matthew Naylor - November 4, 2024

UPC Weekly - All of the fizz and none of the squeeze

2024 Week 44 SodaStream v Aarke is a decision on the merits of an infringement case based on EP ...

Alchemab: the art of AI antibody discovery
Camille Terfve - October 29, 2024

Alchemab: the art of AI antibody discovery

Alchemab’s artificial intelligence platform enables the identification of antibodies for some of ...

GENE-ius options to protect gene therapies
Anna Mudge - October 29, 2024

GENE-ius options to protect gene therapies

Gene therapies involve treating patients by manipulating their genetic makeup. Such therapies may ...

UPC Weekly - UPC confirms approach to inventive step for life science inventions
Matthew Naylor - October 28, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC confirms approach to inventive step for life science inventions

2024 Week 43 10x Genomics and NanoString have been duking it out at the UPC since the court opened ...

UPC Weekly - Light emitting diode patent falls into a black hole of invalidity
Matthew Naylor - October 21, 2024

UPC Weekly - Light emitting diode patent falls into a black hole of invalidity

2024 Week 42 Last week we did a deep dive into some LED technology to explain the decision of the ...

Chambers & Partners 2025 legal guide - Band 1
Joanna Smith - October 17, 2024

Chambers & Partners 2025 legal guide - Band 1

We are proud to have once again been ranked Band 1 (gold) in Chambers & Partners 2025 legal ...

UPC Weekly - A pro-patent decision on infringement and validity
Matthew Naylor - October 14, 2024

UPC Weekly - A pro-patent decision on infringement and validity

2024 Week 41 This week we report on Seoul Viosys v Expert Klein, a full decision on infringement ...

Liquid precision bandages
Simon Kiddle - October 9, 2024

Liquid precision bandages

NoBACZ ingenious new gels create an instant seal over a wound. The company is changing the way farm ...

Most opposed medical device companies at the EPO 2023
Tom Furnival - October 8, 2024

Most opposed medical device companies at the EPO 2023

Following on from our recent post on the Most Opposed Companies at the EPO 2023 we’ve broken that ...

UPC Weekly - Costs: the UPC’s Big Lever
Matthew Naylor - October 7, 2024

UPC Weekly - Costs: the UPC’s Big Lever

2024 Week 40 This week we report on a UPC Court of Appeal decision that focuses only on costs, and ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2025
Joanna Smith - October 2, 2024

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2025

We are extremely proud to once again be ranked tier one for our patent and trade mark practices in ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal digs into the detail in a new preliminary injunction case
Matthew Naylor - September 30, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal digs into the detail in a new preliminary injunction case

2024 Week 39 Outdoor equipment makers Ortovox and Mammut are locked in a UPC battle about avalanche ...

UPC Weekly - The first UPC SEP injunction
Matthew Naylor - September 23, 2024

UPC Weekly - The first UPC SEP injunction

2024 Week 38 On 13 September 2024, the UPC Munich Local Division handed down its decision in the ...

Professor David Nutt’s new psychedelic mission
Joseph Newcombe - September 18, 2024

Professor David Nutt’s new psychedelic mission

The expert on drugs is researching the potential to treat mental health disorders with ...

Most opposed companies at the EPO 2023
Katherine Green - September 17, 2024

Most opposed companies at the EPO 2023

The European Patent Office grants about 100,000 patents per year (EPO Statistics here). The grant ...

How could NASA tech benefit postmenopausal women?
Charlotte Lynch - September 17, 2024

How could NASA tech benefit postmenopausal women?

Over 14,000 postmenopausal women in England may benefit from the recent approval of new ...

UPC Weekly - Clearing the way can lead to UPC bifurcation and language complexities
Matthew Naylor - September 16, 2024

UPC Weekly - Clearing the way can lead to UPC bifurcation and language complexities

2024 Week 37 Let’s say that you are a company based outside Europe and intend to launch a new ...

Dr. Maike de la Roche: immunotherapy & thriving as a woman in science
Fay Allen - September 12, 2024

Dr. Maike de la Roche: immunotherapy & thriving as a woman in science

The world-renowned pioneer in immunotherapy tells Mewburn Ellis about her work with CAR-T cells, ...

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome awareness month
Frances Salisbury - September 10, 2024

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome awareness month

September is PCOS awareness month. PCOS, which stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is a hormonal ...

BoobyBiome: replicating the breast milk microbiome
Natalie Vaughan - September 9, 2024

BoobyBiome: replicating the breast milk microbiome

Breast milk is abundant with essential microbes. Meet the startup mapping the microbiome, to ensure ...

UPC Weekly - UPC preliminary injunctions – a top-up
Matthew Naylor - September 9, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC preliminary injunctions – a top-up

2024 Week 36 Just two weeks ago we reviewed UPC case law on preliminary injunctions (PIs), giving ...

Preparing your patent for success in EPO opposition proceedings
Emily Hayes - September 6, 2024

Preparing your patent for success in EPO opposition proceedings

Emily Hayes shares five simple prosecution tips to strengthen EP patents, ensuring they are in the ...

UPC Weekly - Let’s brake for a minute, and talk about Tesla
Lucy Coe - September 2, 2024

UPC Weekly - Let’s brake for a minute, and talk about Tesla

2024 Week 35 Last week saw two decisions handed down from the UPC Local Divisions as part of ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Preliminary Injunctions – Background, Trends and Lessons Learned
Emma Kennaugh-Gallacher - August 27, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC Preliminary Injunctions – Background, Trends and Lessons Learned

2024 Week 34 No-one wants to be on the receiving end of a UPC preliminary injunction. The tussles ...

The Science of Success: Optimising Female Athletic Performance
Sarah Harvey - August 23, 2024

The Science of Success: Optimising Female Athletic Performance

For the first time in Olympic history, the Paris 2024 Games achieved gender parity among athletes. ...

Editing in situ: synthetic gene editing tools delivered straight to the gut
Amelia Jones - August 21, 2024

Editing in situ: synthetic gene editing tools delivered straight to the gut

The critical, yet delicate balance of the microbiome in maintaining health and influencing disease ...

Antibody-drug conjugates: the new frontier of cancer treatments
Robert Andrews - August 20, 2024

Antibody-drug conjugates: the new frontier of cancer treatments

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are big business. Big pharma is moving in, snapping up companies or ...

UPC Weekly - Revisiting transparency of UPC proceedings
Matthew Naylor - August 19, 2024

UPC Weekly - Revisiting transparency of UPC proceedings

2024 Week 33 The UPC has been doing a lot of stuff right. Litigators praise the preparedness of the ...

Cellular agriculture – increasing importance of IP in cultivated meat
Nick Sutcliffe - August 13, 2024

Cellular agriculture – increasing importance of IP in cultivated meat

As the cultivated meat industry matures, consolidation is widely anticipated due to increasing ...

‘It’s a 50% reduction in ageing’
Adam Gregory - August 13, 2024

‘It’s a 50% reduction in ageing’

Singapore startup VVB Bio promises a dramatic reduction in ageing via a single jab. Now out of ...

UPC Weekly - Now let’s talk about saisies
Sean Jauss - August 12, 2024

UPC Weekly - Now let’s talk about saisies

2024 Week 32 There is no discovery at the UPC.

Fin-tastic innovation: diving into the future of lab-grown fish
Louise Atkins - August 9, 2024

Fin-tastic innovation: diving into the future of lab-grown fish

Much of the discussion around future food focusses on cultivated meat, with all the products so-far ...

Cell-to-cup: a new way to make an old favourite?
Lauren Woolley - August 6, 2024

Cell-to-cup: a new way to make an old favourite?

For those of us who can’t function without our morning coffee, there have been some promising ...

UPC Weekly - UPC revocation versus EPO opposition – playing out in not-so-slow-mo
Matthew Naylor - August 5, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC revocation versus EPO opposition – playing out in not-so-slow-mo

2024 Week 31 What happens when you have the same parties fighting over revocation of the same ...

New EU sanctions against Russia
Richard Clegg - July 31, 2024

New EU sanctions against Russia

In late June the EU extended their package of sanctions in view of Russia’s actions in Ukraine by ...

UPC Weekly - Where’s your UPC off-ramp?
Matthew Naylor - July 29, 2024

UPC Weekly - Where’s your UPC off-ramp?

2024 Week 30 Every litigator needs to have a clear view of the possible routes out of litigation. ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Munich Central Division sets out a marker on how the UPC should approach inventive step
Thomas Wolter - July 22, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC Munich Central Division sets out a marker on how the UPC should approach inventive step

2024 Week 29 This week saw the first UPC decision on the merits issued in the long-running patent ...

Paw-some news for pets: UK’s first regulatory approval of cultivated meat
Louise Atkins - July 17, 2024

Paw-some news for pets: UK’s first regulatory approval of cultivated meat

Lab-grown chicken from cultivated meat company Meatly has received regulatory approval in the UK.

EPO case law for antibodies – 2024 update
Rebecca Tollervey - July 16, 2024

EPO case law for antibodies – 2024 update

In 2023 we published a pair of articles reviewing EPO case law in the field of antibodies, ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to have worked on 26 of the 100 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023
Adam Gregory - July 15, 2024

Mewburn Ellis is proud to have worked on 26 of the 100 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work with some of the world’s most globally significant pharmaceuticals, ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Local Divisions - the reluctant bifurcators
Matthew Naylor - July 15, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC Local Divisions - the reluctant bifurcators

2024 Week 28 This week we look at how the UPC is handling requests to split substantive ...

UPC Weekly - UPC overturns EPO opposition division decision on the same prior art
Matthew Naylor - July 8, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC overturns EPO opposition division decision on the same prior art

2024 Week 27 In the race to be the first UPC division to produce a written decision on a main ...

Inside the Asian microbiome library
Eliot Ward - July 3, 2024

Inside the Asian microbiome library

AMILI co-founder Dr Jeremy Lim takes us on a tour of his remarkable lab, where the mysteries of the ...

UPC Weekly - Three month delay fatal for a preliminary injunction application
Matthew Naylor - July 1, 2024

UPC Weekly - Three month delay fatal for a preliminary injunction application

2024 Week 26 On 3 June 2024, the UPC Local Division in Hamburg decided to refuse a preliminary ...

Alive with Possibilities - The Future of Sustainable Plastics and Beyond
Jane Liu - June 25, 2024

Alive with Possibilities - The Future of Sustainable Plastics and Beyond

As the production and consumption of plastics continues to surge, so too has the accumulation of ...

FDA decision on MDMA therapy hangs in the balance
Joseph Newcombe - June 24, 2024

FDA decision on MDMA therapy hangs in the balance

Recent positive data from a phase III clinical trial of MDMA assisted psychotherapy for the ...

UPC Weekly - UPC uses EPO approach to added subject matter
Matthew Naylor - June 24, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC uses EPO approach to added subject matter

2024 Week 25 There was lots of UPC news to hold the interest this week but for me the standout was ...

UPC Weekly - Opting-out from the UPC: the Who, the When and the Why
Matthew Naylor - June 17, 2024

UPC Weekly - Opting-out from the UPC: the Who, the When and the Why

2024 Week 24 It seems like a long time ago now, but from March to May 2023, the “sunrise period” of ...

Podcast with Adam Gregory: protecting innovations in the biotech space
Adam Gregory - June 17, 2024

Podcast with Adam Gregory: protecting innovations in the biotech space

Adam Gregory joins John Joson Ng on Nucleate Singapore’s Pulse podcast where he highlights success ...

How helpful are biological deposits at the EPO?
Eliot Ward - June 14, 2024

How helpful are biological deposits at the EPO?

In our article about biological deposits under the Budapest Treaty, we explored the deadlines and ...

UPC Weekly - Three Known Unknowns at the UPC
Matthew Naylor - June 10, 2024

UPC Weekly - Three Known Unknowns at the UPC

2024 Week 23 It’s a bit risky to write a blog where you hope it will go out of date quickly. But ...

The HPV vaccine: the global success of prioritising women’s health
Charlotte Lynch - June 4, 2024

The HPV vaccine: the global success of prioritising women’s health

Let's talk about the HPV vaccine - a revolutionary drug and global strategy that proved how ...

1st Anniversary of the UPC – some stats!
Sean Jauss - June 3, 2024

1st Anniversary of the UPC – some stats!

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) celebrated its first anniversary on 1 June 2024. The Court is busy. ...

UPC Weekly - Should we stay or should we go on?
Matthew Naylor - June 3, 2024

UPC Weekly - Should we stay or should we go on?

2024 Week 22 This week we report on the UPC revocation action in Bitzer v. Carrier and the related ...

UPC Weekly - Let’s talk about costs
Matthew Naylor - May 28, 2024

UPC Weekly - Let’s talk about costs

2024 Week 21 This week we focus how the UPC is dealing with requests for security for costs and the ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal confirms their own case law on claim interpretation but sidesteps question of file wrapper estoppel
Matthew Naylor - May 20, 2024

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal confirms their own case law on claim interpretation but sidesteps question of file wrapper estoppel

2024 Week 20 The UPC Court of Appeal have issued another decision on a preliminary injunction – ...

UPC Weekly - High bar to challenge the jurisdiction of the UPC
Matthew Naylor - May 13, 2024

UPC Weekly - High bar to challenge the jurisdiction of the UPC

2024 Week 19 This week saw the UPC issue two decisions about its own jurisdiction. Where a ...

Bacteria bites back: Putting carbon on the menu
Amelia Jones - May 13, 2024

Bacteria bites back: Putting carbon on the menu

When faced with solving the climate crisis, no idea is too ambitious for Synthetic Biology (SynBio) ...

UPC Weekly - Preliminary injunctions at the UPC – get your defence ready
Matthew Naylor - May 7, 2024

UPC Weekly - Preliminary injunctions at the UPC – get your defence ready

2024 Week 18 This week we look at a recent UPC first instance decision for a preliminary ...

Our clients are at the heart of our Trade Mark business
Joanna Smith - May 1, 2024

Our clients are at the heart of our Trade Mark business

We are delighted to release our latest brochure 'Our clients are at the heart of our Trade Mark ...

UPC Weekly - Battling the Biosimilars: opt-outs, preliminary injunctions & protective letters
Matthew Naylor - April 29, 2024

UPC Weekly - Battling the Biosimilars: opt-outs, preliminary injunctions & protective letters

2024 Week 17 This week we delve into the details of the first two UPC disputes involving ...

Cleantech Commercialisation Report: Highlights and Trends
Eleanor Maciver - April 26, 2024

Cleantech Commercialisation Report: Highlights and Trends

Today (26 April 2024) the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) ...

The brilliant dawn of AI drug discovery
Camille Terfve - April 26, 2024

The brilliant dawn of AI drug discovery

Computer simulations are solving challenges previously thought uncrackable.

Medical devices: Insights through IP - new report 2024
Andrew Mears - April 26, 2024

Medical devices: Insights through IP - new report 2024

We are delighted to release our latest report Medical devices: Insights through IP which looks at ...

UPC Weekly - Language of proceedings at the UPC
Matthew Naylor - April 22, 2024

UPC Weekly - Language of proceedings at the UPC

2024 Week 16 This week we focus on the language of proceedings at the UPC, considering when the ...

UPC Weekly - Time-dependent transparency of UPC proceedings?
Matthew Naylor - April 15, 2024

UPC Weekly - Time-dependent transparency of UPC proceedings?

2024 Week 15 The week saw the Court of Appeal issue its decision on public access to court file ...

UPC Weekly - Mind your costs
Matthew Naylor - April 10, 2024

UPC Weekly - Mind your costs

2024 Week 14 The UPC Court of Appeal issued a collection of five appeal decisions on 3 April 2024 ...

Public access to UPC proceedings
Matthew Naylor - April 3, 2024

Public access to UPC proceedings

When the UPC was set up, a basic tenet was set out in Article 45 of the UPC Agreement, that the ...

Efficiency in Expansion: Meeting the Scale-Up Challenge in Cell and Gene Therapies
Katherine Collins - April 2, 2024

Efficiency in Expansion: Meeting the Scale-Up Challenge in Cell and Gene Therapies

One of the pivotal challenges in the development and commercialisation of cell and gene therapies ...

Endometriosis - research, diagnosis and treatment progress
Fay Allen - March 27, 2024

Endometriosis - research, diagnosis and treatment progress

March is Endometriosis Action Month, and this year’s focus is on raising awareness.

Cancer-killing bacteria: past, present and future
Edward Couchman - March 25, 2024

Cancer-killing bacteria: past, present and future

While bacteria have frequently made the medical news in recent years due to the urgent problem of ...

Challenging patents and other clearance actions in Europe
Lucy Coe - March 11, 2024

Challenging patents and other clearance actions in Europe

Whether it is to remove a current infringement threat, clear the way to reduce the risk in ...

Cellular Agriculture – Innovating through the Challenges
Nick Sutcliffe - March 4, 2024

Cellular Agriculture – Innovating through the Challenges

The last year (2023) has seen a difficult environment for Cellular Agriculture (Cell Ag) companies ...

The link between the microbiome and chronic liver disorders
Eliot Ward - February 29, 2024

The link between the microbiome and chronic liver disorders

Guts UK is the charity for the digestive system. It funds scientific research such as Nicholas ...

Updates to the Guidelines for Examination at the EPO
Rebecca Brooks - February 29, 2024

Updates to the Guidelines for Examination at the EPO

The Guidelines for Examination at the EPO (which will be referred to as “the Guidelines” in this ...

Top marks for Iovance as FDA approves first-in-class cell therapy Amtagvi for solid tumours
Katie Dale - February 26, 2024

Top marks for Iovance as FDA approves first-in-class cell therapy Amtagvi for solid tumours

On February 16, 2024, a real milestone was reached in the cell therapy field, as the FDA approved ...

Colony picking robot expands our knowledge of human gut microbiome
Isobel Fisher - February 22, 2024

Colony picking robot expands our knowledge of human gut microbiome

The human microbiome is very diverse. A typical gut microbiome can contain hundreds or even ...

Antibody inventions: Updates in the EPO Guidelines for Examination
Rebecca Tollervey - February 22, 2024

Antibody inventions: Updates in the EPO Guidelines for Examination

The EPO Guidelines for Examination are set to undergo updates effective from 1 March 2024. The ...

Biological Deposits under the Budapest Treaty (1977): important considerations for filing strategies and public accessibility
Eliot Ward - February 21, 2024

Biological Deposits under the Budapest Treaty (1977): important considerations for filing strategies and public accessibility

Biological material, which the EPO understands to be any material containing genetic information ...

Blooming bright! Bioluminescent plant set to brighten up flower beds across the US
Amelia Jones - February 13, 2024

Blooming bright! Bioluminescent plant set to brighten up flower beds across the US

The green fingered among us take great pride in our blossoming gardens and house plants; those, ...

Yoni Health: the medical secrets of menstrual blood
Frances Salisbury - February 8, 2024

Yoni Health: the medical secrets of menstrual blood

Menstrual effluent contains a wealth of scientific info, including biomarkers for endometriosis, ...

European Parliament votes to endorse plants bred using New Genomic Techniques
Sarah Harvey - February 8, 2024

European Parliament votes to endorse plants bred using New Genomic Techniques

7 February 2024 marked a milestone for plant science as the European Parliament (EP) voted to ...

Genes as Medicines: Treating the Untreatable
Edward Couchman - February 7, 2024

Genes as Medicines: Treating the Untreatable

In 2023, gene therapy hit the headlines in the UK, when the BBC reported the cure of a toddler with ...

Fertile Ground: Tapping into the Potential of the Female Microbiome
Amelia Jones - February 7, 2024

Fertile Ground: Tapping into the Potential of the Female Microbiome

Healthcare systems around the world have historically been designed by men, with “white males” ...

Most opposed patents of 2023
Katherine Green - February 2, 2024

Most opposed patents of 2023

Multiple sclerosis therapies are the subject of two of the most opposed patents of 2023. Novartis’ ...

Hydrogels in sustainable agriculture
Sarah Harvey - January 31, 2024

Hydrogels in sustainable agriculture

As we move into 2024, the agricultural sector is being driven by the urgent need to address global ...

Gouda vibes only – AI cooks up vegan meat and cheese alternatives
Emily Lythell - January 26, 2024

Gouda vibes only – AI cooks up vegan meat and cheese alternatives

The Kraft Heinz Company has recently introduced three new vegan sliced cheese varieties in the ...

One Health and the role of the microbiome
Rebecca Brooks - January 22, 2024

One Health and the role of the microbiome

Traditionally, clinical microbiology focused on the role of individual microbes in human and animal ...

Eat your greens: innovations in sustainable alternative protein sources
Lauren Woolley - January 11, 2024

Eat your greens: innovations in sustainable alternative protein sources

As the demand for plant-based products continues to grow, so too does the rate of advancement in ...

Antibiotic with novel mechanism offers new hope for treating resistant infections
Emily Lythell - January 5, 2024

Antibiotic with novel mechanism offers new hope for treating resistant infections

This week saw the publication of a potential new class of antibiotics and their mechanism ...

Podcast with Robert Andrews: a forward-thinking approach to inclusion & diversity
Robert Andrews - January 4, 2024

Podcast with Robert Andrews: a forward-thinking approach to inclusion & diversity

Robert Andrews joins Lisa Mueller and Vivian Luiz Coco on their Inclusion Evolution podcast to ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be participating in Veganuary (again)
Lauren Woolley - January 3, 2024

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be participating in Veganuary (again)

Following last years’ success, we will once again be taking part in the Veganuary Workplace ...

The wonderful potential of waxworm saliva
Simon Kiddle - January 2, 2024

The wonderful potential of waxworm saliva

Enzymes are able to break up plastic, opening the way for rapid recycling.

The Royal Institution's new mission
Joseph Newcombe - December 19, 2023

The Royal Institution's new mission

With 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube, the organisation is finding new ways to enthuse the ...

Synthetic probiotics: bacteria that link the gut to the brain
Amelia Jones - December 19, 2023

Synthetic probiotics: bacteria that link the gut to the brain

Optimising pharmacokinetics of a drug is a vital stage of the development process. Pharmacokinetics ...

Saved by the cell: taking the animals out of meat
Eleanor Maciver - December 18, 2023

Saved by the cell: taking the animals out of meat

Entrepreneur Joshua Errett is aiming to remove animals from the food chain. His first move is to ...

National Vision for Engineering Biology
Calum Graham - December 14, 2023

National Vision for Engineering Biology

On Tuesday 5 December 2023, the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Andrew Griffith MP, ...

New highs for psychedelics in the clinic
Joseph Newcombe - December 12, 2023

New highs for psychedelics in the clinic

Psychedelic compounds have long been experimented with for their mind-altering properties, but in ...

Enzyme-based carbon capture: as easy as breathing
Amelia Jones - December 4, 2023

Enzyme-based carbon capture: as easy as breathing

Over the past few years, the impact of the climate crisis has never been far from the front pages. ...

Invention Capture: 5 Steps to Success - Transforming Technology to Patent Protection
Niles Beadman - November 28, 2023

Invention Capture: 5 Steps to Success - Transforming Technology to Patent Protection

Invention capturing, also referred to as invention harvesting or invention mining, is the start of ...

The first CRISPR treatment – Casgevy wins UK approval for sickle cell disease
Alex Galbraith - November 17, 2023

The first CRISPR treatment – Casgevy wins UK approval for sickle cell disease

In a world first, the UK medicines regulator has given the green light to a therapy employing ...

Biosensor bacteria for tumor detection
Isobel Fisher - November 17, 2023

Biosensor bacteria for tumor detection

Genetically engineered biosensor bacteria could allow us to detect colon cancer without the need ...

Most opposed patents of 2022
Katherine Green - November 13, 2023

Most opposed patents of 2022

As with CRISPR, patents directed to Nobel Prize-winning technologies are viewed as extremely ...

Validating European patents outside Europe - the Validation State system
Jacqueline Murphy - November 8, 2023

Validating European patents outside Europe - the Validation State system

We are pleased to launch our latest report Validating European patents outside Europe - the ...

Swapping in stem cells for diabetes treatment
Katie Dale - November 6, 2023

Swapping in stem cells for diabetes treatment

With just under 50% of type 1 diabetes patients using wearable blood glucose monitors1, medical ...

Chambers & Partners 2024 legal guide - Band 1
Joanna Smith - October 19, 2023

Chambers & Partners 2024 legal guide - Band 1

We are proud to have once again been ranked Band 1 (gold) in Chambers & Partners 2024 legal ...

Supporting Guts UK and their research into the gut microbiome
Rebecca Brooks - October 6, 2023

Supporting Guts UK and their research into the gut microbiome

We’re pleased to announce that we have started a new charity partnership with Guts UK. Guts UK was ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2024
Joanna Smith - October 5, 2023

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2024

We are extremely proud to once again be ranked tier one for our patent and trade mark practices in ...

UPC at four months old - a review
Eliot Ward - October 4, 2023

UPC at four months old - a review

The UPC is now four months old and the Court of First Instance is already quite busy. As of 4 ...

Congratulations to our Rising Stars 2023
Joanna Smith - October 4, 2023

Congratulations to our Rising Stars 2023

Congratulations to Eleanor Maciver, Anna Mudge and Ben Tolley for being recognised as Rising Stars ...

Covid autumn booster vaccine 2023: the switch to mono-valent vaccines
Nick Sutcliffe - October 3, 2023

Covid autumn booster vaccine 2023: the switch to mono-valent vaccines

Autumn 2023 sees another round of COVID-19 booster jabs across the UK for vulnerable people.

Beware the front-loaded procedure!
Sean Jauss - September 29, 2023

Beware the front-loaded procedure!

The Unified Patent Court (‘UPC’) opened its doors on 1 June 2023. It is a new court in the European ...

UK regulators decide preferred approach to precision bred crops
Sarah Harvey - September 21, 2023

UK regulators decide preferred approach to precision bred crops

Yesterday (Wednesday 20 September 2023), the Food Standards Agency board decided on their preferred ...

A leap forward in slowing down Alzheimer’s
Amelia Jones - September 5, 2023

A leap forward in slowing down Alzheimer’s

This summer has seen a major leap forward in slowing the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Gene therapy – the status quo and future trends
Alex Galbraith - September 1, 2023

Gene therapy – the status quo and future trends

The uptick in recent approvals in the gene therapy space is emblematic of a field which is now ...

VC tips for SMEs — how do VCs evaluate the value of intellectual property?
Adam Gregory - August 11, 2023

VC tips for SMEs — how do VCs evaluate the value of intellectual property?

As part of a series in which we ask leading venture capitalists to answer a question of fundamental ...

UPC as a forum for SEP disputes – Panasonic kick off proceedings
Tom Furnival - August 10, 2023

UPC as a forum for SEP disputes – Panasonic kick off proceedings

With the UPC opening its doors just over two months’ ago, the IP profession has been keenly ...

In vivo expression of chimeric antigen receptors: using gene therapy to improve cell therapy
Fay Allen - August 10, 2023

In vivo expression of chimeric antigen receptors: using gene therapy to improve cell therapy

In vivo CAR therapies build on the success of standard CAR treatments and aim to overcome the ...

The next-generation therapies for autoimmune diseases
Anna Mudge - August 9, 2023

The next-generation therapies for autoimmune diseases

The immune system has an extraordinary capacity to distinguish “self” from “non-self”. This means ...

Cells as medicines: the promise of cell therapy
Edward Couchman - August 7, 2023

Cells as medicines: the promise of cell therapy

Cell therapy is one of the most exciting areas of medical science, with recent years having seen ...

IP priorities for forward-looking cell and gene therapy businesses
Nick Sutcliffe - July 26, 2023

IP priorities for forward-looking cell and gene therapy businesses

IP priorities are especially important to businesses developing advanced therapeutic products. ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work on 18 of the 50 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2022
David Brooks - July 19, 2023

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work on 18 of the 50 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2022

Last year we reported the unprecedented growth of the innovative pharmaceuticals industry in 2021 ...

Does Green IP mean go? Exploring acceleration under the UKIPO’s “Green Channel”
Jacqueline Murphy - July 18, 2023

Does Green IP mean go? Exploring acceleration under the UKIPO’s “Green Channel”

We are pleased to launch our latest report Does Green IP mean go? Exploring acceleration under the ...

The secrets of the oral microbiome
Eliot Ward - July 14, 2023

The secrets of the oral microbiome

More than 700 species of bacteria live in our mouths. The mysteries of this ecosystem are now being ...

Evolution of engineered minimal cells - high mutation rates and regained fitness
Thomas Driver - July 13, 2023

Evolution of engineered minimal cells - high mutation rates and regained fitness

Engineered bacterial cells with minimal genomes were developed in 2016 - these minimal cells ...

VC tips for SMEs — how much equity should a start-up give away in a Series A fundraising?
Nick Sutcliffe - July 6, 2023

VC tips for SMEs — how much equity should a start-up give away in a Series A fundraising?

As part of a series in which we ask leading venture capitalists to answer a question of fundamental ...

VC tips for SMEs — how to choose the right VC?
Nick Sutcliffe - July 6, 2023

VC tips for SMEs — how to choose the right VC?

As part of a series in which we ask leading venture capitalists to answer a question of fundamental ...

Beating the Punch: UPC Protective Letters
Thomas Wolter - July 6, 2023

Beating the Punch: UPC Protective Letters

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is now operational. As of June 1, 2023, patentees can enforce ...

Litigation in the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Sean Jauss - July 5, 2023

Litigation in the Unified Patent Court (UPC)

The UPC is a new European patent litigation court. It will provide a single forum for the ...

UPC Administrative Committee approves Milan as host of the third Central Division court
Sean Jauss - June 27, 2023

UPC Administrative Committee approves Milan as host of the third Central Division court

The UPC Administrative Committee has announced that Milan will host the third seat of the UPC’s ...

Cell-cultivated chicken approved for sale in US
Adam Gregory - June 22, 2023

Cell-cultivated chicken approved for sale in US

On Wednesday 21 June 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the sale of ...

One giant leap for plant-kind: engineering plants for Mars
Isobel Fisher - June 22, 2023

One giant leap for plant-kind: engineering plants for Mars

If humans are going to live on Mars one day, we need to work out how to grow plants there. Plants ...

Podcast with Robert Andrews: how to drive I&D progress and engage key stakeholders
Robert Andrews - May 22, 2023

Podcast with Robert Andrews: how to drive I&D progress and engage key stakeholders

Robert Andrews joins Natasha Rainey on her All Inclusive Podcast to discuss his journey to becoming ...

Patenting antibodies – the latest developments from the EPO Boards of Appeal:  Part 2 – inventive step
Rebecca Tollervey - May 9, 2023

Patenting antibodies – the latest developments from the EPO Boards of Appeal:  Part 2 – inventive step

We have conducted a review of Board of Appeal decisions relating to antibody patents published ...

Gene sequencing accelerates with custom hardware
Alex Burns - May 5, 2023

Gene sequencing accelerates with custom hardware

The cost to sequence a genome continues to drop exponentially. Over the past 20 years, the cost to ...

The ball is rolling at the FDA for microbiome therapies
Eliot Ward - May 4, 2023

The ball is rolling at the FDA for microbiome therapies

The FDA was busy last week! Off the back of the first approval for faecal microbiota transplant ...

The allogeneic advantage
Anna Mudge - May 4, 2023

The allogeneic advantage

Bespoke cell therapies are expensive and time-consuming. Now allogeneic cell treatments offer a ...

Advanced Therapies Congress 2023 - five key themes
Anna Mudge - March 21, 2023

Advanced Therapies Congress 2023 - five key themes

Anna Mudge enjoyed a bustling two days at the Advanced Therapies Congress 2023 in London. Nine ...

Femtech: a growth industry - new special report
Jacqueline Murphy - March 14, 2023

Femtech: a growth industry - new special report

We are delighted to release our latest report Femtech: a growth industry.

Come and join us for a ‘Celebration of all things Singapore’
Jacqueline Murphy - March 7, 2023

Come and join us for a ‘Celebration of all things Singapore’

We are excited to be in Singapore for INTA 2023 and very much hope that you can join us at our ...

Cheese without cows
Chris Denison - March 6, 2023

Cheese without cows

How Better Dairy are creating products that are molecularly identical to traditional dairy (without ...

Conservation innovation – working towards a world for both humans and wildlife
Matthew Barton - March 3, 2023

Conservation innovation – working towards a world for both humans and wildlife

With a rapidly growing human global population, predicted to reach 10 billion by 2057, our impact ...

Microbiome claims around the world: how to define your microbe?
Natalie Vaughan - February 23, 2023

Microbiome claims around the world: how to define your microbe?

A booming commercial interest in harnessing the human microbiome for therapeutic uses has led to a ...

Trafficking T cells – how to get cells to their target destination
Anna Mudge - February 20, 2023

Trafficking T cells – how to get cells to their target destination

After being in the shadow of its famous relative, the antibody-producing B cell, for many decades, ...

AI and Tech innovation stands out in a slow year for pharma deals
Christopher Casley - February 9, 2023

AI and Tech innovation stands out in a slow year for pharma deals

Last year saw a drop in the number and value of deals performed in the biotech and pharma sector ...

Veganuary: what a month it has been!
Lauren Woolley - February 3, 2023

Veganuary: what a month it has been!

Veganuary is done for another year. What a month it has been!

Veganuary: what we eat - 5 tips for sustainability
Sarah Harvey - February 3, 2023

Veganuary: what we eat - 5 tips for sustainability

As Veganuary comes to a close, we are preparing to return to our normal lives and, indeed, diets. ...

Getting to grips with device led physical rehabilitation innovation
Callum Anderson - February 3, 2023

Getting to grips with device led physical rehabilitation innovation

In the UK, there are an estimated 187,000 children living with an arm disability, and 85 million ...

Meet the team: Emma Graham, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Engineering team, London
Emma Graham - February 2, 2023

Meet the team: Emma Graham, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Engineering team, London

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Emma Graham about her love of patent drafting, ...

Patenting antibodies – the latest developments from the EPO Boards of Appeal
Rebecca Tollervey - February 1, 2023

Patenting antibodies – the latest developments from the EPO Boards of Appeal

The prosecution of patent applications relating to antibodies involves particular considerations. ...

Meet the team: Camille Terfve, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences team, Cambridge
Camille Terfve - January 31, 2023

Meet the team: Camille Terfve, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences team, Cambridge

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Camille Terfve about her journey to becoming a ...

Veganuary: food for thought - ethical considerations when navigating the future food technology landscape
Lauren Woolley - January 23, 2023

Veganuary: food for thought - ethical considerations when navigating the future food technology landscape

Our focus this Veganuary has been on the technology leading the way in this sector, and in ...

CAR Treg cell therapy - to autoimmunity and beyond
Katie Dale - January 21, 2023

CAR Treg cell therapy - to autoimmunity and beyond

A new wave of cell therapy is hitting the clinics for treating various autoimmune diseases, by ...

Meet the team: Christopher Casley, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences team, Bristol
Christopher Casley - January 20, 2023

Meet the team: Christopher Casley, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences team, Bristol

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Christopher Casley about why he enjoys life as a ...

Synthetic Biology - creating innovative solutions to tackle climate change
Amelia Jones - January 20, 2023

Synthetic Biology - creating innovative solutions to tackle climate change

Over the past few decades, awareness of the impact that humans are having on the planet has grown ...

Veganuary: vegan branding – more than meats the eye
Rebecca Anderson-Smith - January 19, 2023

Veganuary: vegan branding – more than meats the eye

The Veganuary challenge is in full swing, at Mewburn Ellis, and across the UK more generally. But ...

Opting out from the UPC – when to opt-out a pending European patent application
Richard Clegg - January 18, 2023

Opting out from the UPC – when to opt-out a pending European patent application

From 1 March 2023, when the Unified Patent Court (UPC) sunrise period starts, it will become ...

Veganuary: horizons in next-generation plant-based meat analogues
Lauren Woolley - January 17, 2023

Veganuary: horizons in next-generation plant-based meat analogues

Here at Mewburn Ellis, we have been thinking about the future of food for some time. Since 2019, we ...

Veganuary: Culturing an appetite; advances in 3D bioprinting
Louise Atkins - January 10, 2023

Veganuary: Culturing an appetite; advances in 3D bioprinting

Throughout Veganuary, we are looking at the technologies that are taking us beyond animal ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be participating in Veganuary
Lauren Woolley - January 4, 2023

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be participating in Veganuary

At Mewburn Ellis, we have been thinking about the future of food for some time. So have the ...

A world-first approval for off-the-shelf cell therapy
Katherine Collins - December 23, 2022

A world-first approval for off-the-shelf cell therapy

We are delighted to learn that this week the European Commission granted the world’s first approval ...

mRNA cancer vaccine shows efficacy in clinical trial
Nick Sutcliffe - December 20, 2022

mRNA cancer vaccine shows efficacy in clinical trial

Moderna and Merck announced in a mid-December 2022 press release that its mRNA cancer vaccine ...

Podcast with Jevan Nagarajah: Cheese without cows
Chris Denison - December 16, 2022

Podcast with Jevan Nagarajah: Cheese without cows

Jevan Nagarajah, Co-Founder and CEO of Better Dairy, joins Forward Editor Charles Orton-Jones to ...

Welcome to the market, FMT
Eliot Ward - December 1, 2022

Welcome to the market, FMT

On Wednesday 30 November 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised the first ...

What is Synthetic Biology and why should you care?
Thomas Driver - December 1, 2022

What is Synthetic Biology and why should you care?

The term Synthetic Biology, or SynBio, has been used for a while; the meaning of the term seems to ...

Antibody therapy for pets – following the human lead
Alex Galbraith - December 1, 2022

Antibody therapy for pets – following the human lead

Over recent decades monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy has developed from a standing start to become ...

Patent Litigation Trends in England & Wales - new report
Jacqueline Murphy - November 29, 2022

Patent Litigation Trends in England & Wales - new report

We are delighted to release our latest report Patent Litigation Trends in England and Wales.

Plausibility and Inventive Step at the EPO - Watch G2/21 live on Thursday 24 November
Thomas Wolter - November 21, 2022

Plausibility and Inventive Step at the EPO - Watch G2/21 live on Thursday 24 November

On Thursday 24 November 2022, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) will hear the parties in case ...

Coming soon to a plate near you? US Food and Drug Administration issue first step towards approval for cell-based meat
Adam Gregory - November 18, 2022

Coming soon to a plate near you? US Food and Drug Administration issue first step towards approval for cell-based meat

For over a decade, the promise of cultivated meat, grown using cell-culture techniques ex vivo and ...

European validation strategies for pharmaceutical patents – an update
Julie Carlisle - November 16, 2022

European validation strategies for pharmaceutical patents – an update

In January 2021, we published our Special Report on EP validation strategies for pharmaceutical ...

Positive feedback on oral proceedings in oppositions carried out by videoconference
Simon Kiddle - November 16, 2022

Positive feedback on oral proceedings in oppositions carried out by videoconference

In September, the EPO commissioned a survey about their opposition procedure, in particular asking ...

Enablement Requirements for Antibody Claims to be Reviewed by US Supreme Court
Edward Couchman - November 11, 2022

Enablement Requirements for Antibody Claims to be Reviewed by US Supreme Court

In a development which will be of interest to biotech companies, particularly those working in the ...

Gender bias in patent prosecution
Frances Salisbury - November 9, 2022

Gender bias in patent prosecution

Fran Salisbury spoke to The Patent Lawyer Magazine about gender bias in patent prosecution. This ...

Eight days – the longest ever opposition hearing at the EPO?
Katherine Green - November 7, 2022

Eight days – the longest ever opposition hearing at the EPO?

The EPO Opposition Division just issued its decision on European Patent 2 188 302 following an ...

Vets: who’s taking care of the animal caregivers?
Matthew Barton - November 1, 2022

Vets: who’s taking care of the animal caregivers?

Our pets are members of the family, and we would do everything we can to make sure they stay fit ...

Top Tier in Chambers & Partners 2023 legal guide
Jacqueline Murphy - October 25, 2022

Top Tier in Chambers & Partners 2023 legal guide

We are proud to have once again been ranked Band 1 (gold) in Chambers & Partners 2023 legal ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2023
Jacqueline Murphy - October 14, 2022

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2023

We are extremely proud to be ranked tier one for our patent and trade mark practices in the 2023 ...

Robert Watson elected President of FICPI’s Study and Work Committee
Maria Hall - October 14, 2022

Robert Watson elected President of FICPI’s Study and Work Committee

Partner Robert Watson was elected President of FICPI’s Study and Work Committee (Commission d'Etude ...

Congratulations to our Rising Stars 2022
Jacqueline Murphy - October 5, 2022

Congratulations to our Rising Stars 2022

Congratulations to Eleanor Maciver, Anna Mudge and Ben Tolley for being recognised as Rising Stars ...

A patent attorney, a dog and meaning in the job
Andrew Pitts - October 4, 2022

A patent attorney, a dog and meaning in the job

4 October 2022 is World Animal Day and we can reflect on how the strong bond with our canine ...

Regulatory challenges for microbiome therapeutics in the EU and beyond – focus on FMT
Eliot Ward - September 12, 2022

Regulatory challenges for microbiome therapeutics in the EU and beyond – focus on FMT

One of the oldest known microbiome-based therapeutics, faecal microbiota transplantation, is again ...

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions
Emily Hayes - August 5, 2022

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions

We really are experts when it comes to opposing patents and our enviable success rate speaks for ...

Alternative proteins: you can’t magic anything out of thin air – or can you?
Eleanor Maciver - August 3, 2022

Alternative proteins: you can’t magic anything out of thin air – or can you?

It’s hard to miss the scale of investor and consumer appetite for sustainable, future foods. Future ...

Bugs helping drugs beat cancer – harnessing the microbiome for immunotherapy
Katie Dale - July 28, 2022

Bugs helping drugs beat cancer – harnessing the microbiome for immunotherapy

In recent years the field of cancer immunotherapy has exploded in popularity, and now a new branch ...

Most opposed patents of 2021
Katherine Green - July 28, 2022

Most opposed patents of 2021

When we reviewed our list of the most opposed European patents of 2021, we found that the patent at ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work on 19 of the 50 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2021
Adam Gregory - July 22, 2022

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work on 19 of the 50 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2021

2021 was a year of unprecedented success for the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, with the ...

Breakthrough: super fast DNA tests
Eliot Ward - July 7, 2022

Breakthrough: super fast DNA tests

A rapid bedside genetic test can screen newborn babies for a genetic variant which makes them ...

EPO presses pause on proceedings that depend on the plausibility referral to the EBA
Thomas Wolter - June 27, 2022

EPO presses pause on proceedings that depend on the plausibility referral to the EBA

Despite not having any express legislative basis in the European Patent Convention, plausibility ...

The surprising world of canine oncology
Julie Carlisle - June 22, 2022

The surprising world of canine oncology

Dog cancer specialist Dr Clare Knottenbelt reveals the insights derived from studying and treating ...

Plant-based brands: what does it take to break through?
Rebecca Anderson-Smith - May 26, 2022

Plant-based brands: what does it take to break through?

We investigate what it takes to stand out in an increasingly crowded retail space.

Recipe for success - intellectual property opportunities in future food
Anna Mudge - May 24, 2022

Recipe for success - intellectual property opportunities in future food

The future of food is big business and it’s only going to get bigger as both technology and ...

Vertical farming - finding space to sprout up
Sarah Harvey - May 10, 2022

Vertical farming - finding space to sprout up

One thing the past couple of years have taught a lot of people is that global supply chains can be ...

Replacing the bad with the good – an IP perspective on microbial consortia
Sarah Harvey - May 6, 2022

Replacing the bad with the good – an IP perspective on microbial consortia

Our body hosts trillions of microorganisms that are essential to many aspects of human health. This ...

The search for more sustainable food sources
Rhiannon Wescott - May 3, 2022

The search for more sustainable food sources

So much more than nutrition, food can evoke pleasure and excitement and bring people together. And ...

Plausibility strikes again – BMS blockbuster apixaban patent found invalid by UK High Court
Thomas Wolter - April 27, 2022

Plausibility strikes again – BMS blockbuster apixaban patent found invalid by UK High Court

In a recent judgment the UK High Court of Justice revoked European Patent (UK) 1 427 415 B1 and a ...

Horizons in vaccine production
Tanis Keirstead - April 14, 2022

Horizons in vaccine production

The scramble for a coronavirus vaccine over the last two years has demonstrated how important ...

Germany’s world-leading MedTech industry
Urs Ferber - April 14, 2022

Germany’s world-leading MedTech industry

Germany is synonymous with precision engineering and quality manufacturing, so it comes as no ...

A much-needed boost: the future of coronavirus vaccines
Tanis Keirstead - April 4, 2022

A much-needed boost: the future of coronavirus vaccines

Just over two years after our first blog on Covid-19, it appears that the disease is here to stay. ...

Powering pacemakers – (don’t) be still, my beating heart
Isobel Stone - April 4, 2022

Powering pacemakers – (don’t) be still, my beating heart

Millions of people around the world depend on implanted medical devices, for all sorts of reasons – ...

Podcast with Guy Heathers: Singapore's innovation community — trends and technology
Adam Gregory - March 31, 2022

Podcast with Guy Heathers: Singapore's innovation community — trends and technology

Having previously spoken to Guy Heathers, Singapore biotech entrepreneur, about the development of ...

Five patenting pitfalls in future food (and how to avoid them)
Adam Gregory - March 30, 2022

Five patenting pitfalls in future food (and how to avoid them)

In our series on future food, we have explored the exciting innovations in areas such as cultured ...

Exosomes in liquid biopsy: a nanometric particle packed with potential
Katie Dale - March 14, 2022

Exosomes in liquid biopsy: a nanometric particle packed with potential

We are all too familiar with the statistic that 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime. Of ...

We need to talk about women's health - spotlight on endometriosis
Fay Allen - March 8, 2022

We need to talk about women's health - spotlight on endometriosis

Women’s health is an area that has suffered from gender bias for years. One reason for this is that ...

Six ways that 3D printing is revolutionising the biomedical industry
Robert Worboys - March 7, 2022

Six ways that 3D printing is revolutionising the biomedical industry

3D-Printing is an additive manufacturing process whereby objects are created by depositing ...

Predicting the unpredictable during pregnancy
Frances Salisbury - February 10, 2022

Predicting the unpredictable during pregnancy

For many expectant parents, pregnancy is a time of excitement, yet this time can also be riddled ...

A guide to EPO opposition proceedings by videoconference
Katherine Green - January 26, 2022

A guide to EPO opposition proceedings by videoconference

EPO oppositions by videoconference only became possible relatively recently, in April 2020. In 2021 ...

Kokumi - a new taste for future foods?
Chris Denison - January 20, 2022

Kokumi - a new taste for future foods?

Many of us – at least in the West – grew up with the knowledge that there are four basic tastes: ...

As the UPC preparatory period begins, the EPO decides to accept UP requests before the full UPC agreement comes into force
Eliot Ward - January 19, 2022

As the UPC preparatory period begins, the EPO decides to accept UP requests before the full UPC agreement comes into force

  On 18 January 2022, Austria became the thirteenth EU country to ratify the “protocol on ...

Austrian parliament unanimously passes legislation to allow the practical preparations for the UPC to begin
Eliot Ward - December 3, 2021

Austrian parliament unanimously passes legislation to allow the practical preparations for the UPC to begin

On 2 December 2021, Austria became the thirteenth EU country to pass the “protocol on provisional ...

The smart healthcare revolution – what does it mean for patent attorneys?
Alex Burns - November 22, 2021

The smart healthcare revolution – what does it mean for patent attorneys?

In 2020 the EPO published a report on the global trends in patent applications for “Fourth ...

From academia to patents – a career path to becoming a patent attorney
Camille Terfve - November 16, 2021

From academia to patents – a career path to becoming a patent attorney

Camille Terfve spoke to EMBL Careers about what it takes to become a patent attorney. This was ...

Digital therapeutics: the rise of digital health technologies during the Covid-19 pandemic
Camille Terfve - November 12, 2021

Digital therapeutics: the rise of digital health technologies during the Covid-19 pandemic

There is no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped many aspects of our lives. Those lucky ...

New Green IP Report launched
Jacqueline Murphy - October 26, 2021

New Green IP Report launched

To coincide with the launch of COP26 we have released a new report into Green IP. Our report ...

Chambers & Partners 2022 Legal Guide - Band 1 Recommended Firm
Jacqueline Murphy - October 22, 2021

Chambers & Partners 2022 Legal Guide - Band 1 Recommended Firm

We are delighted to have once again been ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners 2022 legal guide ...

A snapshot: Patent Landscape in Bioinformatics and Digital Health
Christopher Casley - October 21, 2021

A snapshot: Patent Landscape in Bioinformatics and Digital Health

In this Forward: On Demand vlog, Christopher Casley gives us an overview of our special report on ...

Capturing the DNA hydroxymethylome for early-stage cancer detection
Jane Liu - October 21, 2021

Capturing the DNA hydroxymethylome for early-stage cancer detection

Biomarkers are measurable indicators of health or disease and the detection of biomarkers in liquid ...

CRISPR - the future of gene editing
Joseph Morgan - October 14, 2021

CRISPR - the future of gene editing

In this Forward: On Demand vlog, Joseph Morgan and Alex Galbraith explore what CRISPR/Cas9 is, how ...

Change and Opportunity: SPCs in the post-Brexit era
Andrew Williams - October 5, 2021

Change and Opportunity: SPCs in the post-Brexit era

Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) are incredibly important IP rights that help ...

MIP IP Stars - The Rising Stars in IP 2021
Jacqueline Murphy - October 4, 2021

MIP IP Stars - The Rising Stars in IP 2021

Congratulations to Rebecca Anderson-Smith, Callum McGuinn and Ben Tolley for being recognised as ...

‘IP Access’ fund, an extension of the existing UK IPO IP Audits Plus program
Isobel Stone - October 1, 2021

‘IP Access’ fund, an extension of the existing UK IPO IP Audits Plus program

In 2021, innovation really has been a hot topic, with the government’s Innovation Strategy ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2022
Jacqueline Murphy - September 30, 2021

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2022

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be ranked top tier for our patent and trade mark practices in the 2022 ...

Sensors and sensibility: Caroline Hargrove CBE eyes up the future of healthtech
Andrew Mears - September 21, 2021

Sensors and sensibility: Caroline Hargrove CBE eyes up the future of healthtech

Years after meeting her as another primary-school parent, Forward editor Caitlin Mackesy Davies ...

Three ways future food technologies can improve the sustainability of animal feed
Adam Gregory - September 17, 2021

Three ways future food technologies can improve the sustainability of animal feed

Like many others, lockdown has changed not only the daily rhythm in my home but the members of the ...

IP priorities for future food companies
Adam Gregory - September 9, 2021

IP priorities for future food companies

The future of food is a hot topic. Whether it is cellular agriculture, next-generation meat ...

The other end of the antibody: Fc modifications as a focus for patent protection
Rebecca Tollervey - September 8, 2021

The other end of the antibody: Fc modifications as a focus for patent protection

For us antibody nerds, a fascinating aspect of the development of monoclonal antibodies against ...

Liquid biopsies and the future of cancer treatment
Samuel Hart - September 8, 2021

Liquid biopsies and the future of cancer treatment

In this Forward: On Demand vlog, Samuel Hart discusses liquid biopsy technologies and the future of ...

Most opposed patents of 2020
Katherine Green - September 6, 2021

Most opposed patents of 2020

Every year at the EPO about 3000-4000 patents are opposed. This figure represents only about 3-4% ...

A new referral to the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal is plausible
Andrew Pitts - August 10, 2021

A new referral to the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal is plausible

Despite not having any express legislative basis in the European Patent Convention, plausibility ...

Patent Landscape in Bioinformatics and Digital Health Special Report
Camille Terfve - August 5, 2021

Patent Landscape in Bioinformatics and Digital Health Special Report

Our new Special Report, Patent Landscape in Bioinformatics and Digital Health: a data driven ...

Senolytics are knock, knock, knocking on ageing’s door
Daniel Yin - July 28, 2021

Senolytics are knock, knock, knocking on ageing’s door

In 1974, Bob Dylan asked that we stay forever young. Today, exciting developments in the longevity ...

Is metformin the key to anti-aging?
Fay Allen - July 28, 2021

Is metformin the key to anti-aging?

By 2050, it is estimated that one quarter of the global population will be over 60 years old. That ...

First human in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing results make history
Joseph Morgan - July 19, 2021

First human in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing results make history

The ability to directly edit a patient’s genome safely and efficiently to treat genetic diseases ...

IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2021
Jacqueline Murphy - July 2, 2021

IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2021

We are delighted to once again be ranked ‘gold tier’ in IAM PATENT 1000: The World’s Leading Patent ...

Circulating tumour cells: at the forefront of cancer diagnosis and treatment
Samuel Hart - June 30, 2021

Circulating tumour cells: at the forefront of cancer diagnosis and treatment

In cancer patients, “metastasis” occurs as tumour cells break-away from the site at which they are ...

Cancer diagnosis – new data to support methylation-based liquid biopsy
Thomas Driver - June 30, 2021

Cancer diagnosis – new data to support methylation-based liquid biopsy

New study demonstrates enormous potential Earlier this month, we published a blog which highlighted ...

Podcast with Jim Mellon: Cellular agriculture and the new agrarian revolution
Adam Gregory - June 29, 2021

Podcast with Jim Mellon: Cellular agriculture and the new agrarian revolution

Jim Mellon, investor in innovation, entrepreneur and author, joins us for our new podcast. With ...

The technologies helping shape the future of food
Fay Allen - June 29, 2021

The technologies helping shape the future of food

In this Forward: On Demand vlog, Fay Allen and Sarah Harvey discuss the technologies helping shape ...

Pharma and Life Sciences Patent Extensions in Europe
Jacqueline Murphy - June 23, 2021

Pharma and Life Sciences Patent Extensions in Europe

Our Special Report Pharma and Life Sciences Patent Extensions in Europe examines five years of data ...

Podcast with Sarah Kostiuk-Smith: Validation strategies for pharmaceutical patents in Europe
Sarah Kostiuk-Smith - June 21, 2021

Podcast with Sarah Kostiuk-Smith: Validation strategies for pharmaceutical patents in Europe

Sarah Kostiuk-Smith, Partner and Patent Attorney at Mewburn Ellis (UPDATE 30 SEPTEMBER 2022: Sarah ...

Mewburn Ellis ranked Tier 1 for Patent prosecution in MIP IP STARS 2021
Jacqueline Murphy - June 17, 2021

Mewburn Ellis ranked Tier 1 for Patent prosecution in MIP IP STARS 2021

We are delighted to be ranked Tier 1 for Patent Prosecution UK in MIP IP STARS 2021. As one of only ...

Financial Times Special Report - Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms 2021
Finn Dinneen - June 17, 2021

Financial Times Special Report - Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms 2021

We are delighted to once again be recognised in the Financial Times Special Report Europe’s Leading ...

Cell therapy: repairing and rebuilding the body
Edward Couchman - June 15, 2021

Cell therapy: repairing and rebuilding the body

Recent advances in medicine have, for the first time, allowed physicians to directly intervene in ...

Methylomics – analysing DNA methylation signatures to diagnose cancer
Thomas Driver - June 9, 2021

Methylomics – analysing DNA methylation signatures to diagnose cancer

Traditional tissue biopsies are a vital aspect of current medical practices which help us diagnose ...

Need to Know: why your virome holds enormous value
Jo Cripps - June 8, 2021

Need to Know: why your virome holds enormous value

Our bodies play host to a complex network of viruses, many of which remain unclassified. Matt ...

Healthy eating means more than just a balanced diet: future foods and fighting the risk of infection
Samuel Hart - June 3, 2021

Healthy eating means more than just a balanced diet: future foods and fighting the risk of infection

Human health is inextricably linked to food – not least because eating a healthy diet is known to ...

Intellectual property and artificial intelligence in the UK: what might the future hold?
Camille Terfve - May 20, 2021

Intellectual property and artificial intelligence in the UK: what might the future hold?

AI is a hot topic for the current UK government. Last year, the UK Intellectual Property Office ...

IP for forward-looking life sciences businesses
Nick Sutcliffe - May 14, 2021

IP for forward-looking life sciences businesses

The recently released Mewburn Ellis IP Guide for SMEs sets out IP priorities for businesses at four ...

Diagnosing concussion: liquid biopsy is changing the game
Alex Galbraith - May 12, 2021

Diagnosing concussion: liquid biopsy is changing the game

Rugby, along with many other contact sports such as football, boxing and American football, has ...

What's the beef? Using meat terms to describe meat alternatives
Jacqueline Pang - April 23, 2021

What's the beef? Using meat terms to describe meat alternatives

With the ‘future foods’ market set to grow exponentially over the coming years as a result of a ...

What is the cancer microbiome?
Fay Allen - April 19, 2021

What is the cancer microbiome?

The “microbiome” is commonly associated with the gut microbiome, but recently the blood microbiome ...

Fish-free-fish: making a splash with cellular aquaculture
Adam Gregory - April 19, 2021

Fish-free-fish: making a splash with cellular aquaculture

Whilst the oceans remain as vast and seemingly inexhaustible as ever, the old adage that “there’s ...

Jim Mellon: the reluctant gradualist taking on ageing
Adam Gregory - April 19, 2021

Jim Mellon: the reluctant gradualist taking on ageing

Forward editor Caitlin Mackesy Davies learns how we might all be able to live long and prosper from ...

Need to know: are we set for a bioprinting boom?
Isobel Stone - April 7, 2021

Need to know: are we set for a bioprinting boom?

From refashioning foods to fabricating organs, bioprinting is the smart technology that could have ...

The future of organ transplantation: growing organs from scratch?
Lucy White - March 31, 2021

The future of organ transplantation: growing organs from scratch?

Organ transplantation has saved, transformed, and extended countless lives. Although ...

EPO 2020 Patent Index - key trends
Sarah Harvey - March 23, 2021

EPO 2020 Patent Index - key trends

The European Patent Office (EPO) recently published its 2020 Patent Index which provides a ...

Detecting progress: liquid biopsy in lung cancer
Alex Galbraith - March 8, 2021

Detecting progress: liquid biopsy in lung cancer

Lung cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death in 2020 with an estimated 1.8 million deaths ...

Webinar - Antibody patenting practice at the EPO
Chris Denison - March 5, 2021

Webinar - Antibody patenting practice at the EPO

A new edition of the EPO Examination Guidelines came into force on 1 March 2021, including a new ...

Controlled environment agriculture - 5 things to watch
Simon Kremer - March 3, 2021

Controlled environment agriculture - 5 things to watch

Simon Kremer attended the Agri-TechE “Controlled Environment Agriculture – The Industry is Growing ...

Patenting highly engineered antibodies in Europe
Rebecca Tollervey - March 2, 2021

Patenting highly engineered antibodies in Europe

In recent years, antibody engineering has moved into a new phase of complexity, with a ...

New EPO Guidelines for Examination of Antibody Inventions
Chris Denison - February 10, 2021

New EPO Guidelines for Examination of Antibody Inventions

A new edition of the EPO examination guidelines will come into force on 1 March 2021. The EPO has ...

Out of Oz: the remarkable life and times of AMP945
Robert Watson - February 5, 2021

Out of Oz: the remarkable life and times of AMP945

Bringing a new cancer treatment to the public can be a complex process, as Alex Eliseev finds out.

SARS-CoV-2 variants – reasons to be optimistic
Adam Gregory - January 29, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants – reasons to be optimistic

In recent weeks and months, several highly-transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that ...

Conscious consumers deserve better than burgers
Adam Gregory - January 29, 2021

Conscious consumers deserve better than burgers

As part of our Thought Leaders series, Director and Co-founder of Gaia Foods, Vinayaka Srinivas, ...

How to patent your digital health apps – 5 key considerations
Alex Burns - January 26, 2021

How to patent your digital health apps – 5 key considerations

As the technical capabilities of smartphones continue to rise at an exponential rate, so too do the ...

Bugs and slimes – or protein for modern times?
Thomas Driver - January 21, 2021

Bugs and slimes – or protein for modern times?

Current agricultural practices are considered by many to be unsustainable for a number of reasons. ...

Save our staples: Securing the future of food
Simon Kremer - January 7, 2021

Save our staples: Securing the future of food

Rising global temperatures and rising populations threaten farmers’ ability to grow the crops we ...

Will the COVID-19 vaccines induce more robust immunity than infection with SARS-Cov-2 itself?
Eliot Ward - December 21, 2020

Will the COVID-19 vaccines induce more robust immunity than infection with SARS-Cov-2 itself?

Respiratory viruses such as coronaviruses are notorious for evading the immune system[1] and, in ...

Deep learning cracks the protein folding problem?
Camille Terfve - December 3, 2020

Deep learning cracks the protein folding problem?

Deep learning has just made a new headline grabbing achievement: DeepMind’s latest AI-powered ...

Go with the flow: the allure of the liquid biopsy
Frances Salisbury - December 2, 2020

Go with the flow: the allure of the liquid biopsy

Forward finds out how fresh technologies are providing a way to cut invasive procedures out of the ...

First regulatory approval for cultured meat – a major milestone
Adam Gregory - December 2, 2020

First regulatory approval for cultured meat – a major milestone

In December 2020, US company Eat Just were granted regulatory approval by the Singapore Food Agency ...

Further constitutional challenges to Unified Patent Court Agreement
Tanis Keirstead - November 27, 2020

Further constitutional challenges to Unified Patent Court Agreement

On 26 November 2020, the German Bundestag approved the ratification bill for the Unified Patent ...

AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine shows efficacy against SARS-CoV-2
Nick Sutcliffe - November 25, 2020

AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine shows efficacy against SARS-CoV-2

AstraZeneca/Oxford University have announced that their SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccine AZD1222 showed ...

And then there were two – Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows efficacy
Nick Sutcliffe - November 16, 2020

And then there were two – Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows efficacy

Moderna have announced that their SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate mRNA1273 showed efficacy in a first ...

Videoconference Oral Proceedings for EPO Oppositions – an Update
Christopher Casley - November 13, 2020

Videoconference Oral Proceedings for EPO Oppositions – an Update

The EPO has announced changes to the Pilot Project for Video Conference (ViCo) Oral Proceedings ...

EPO Zooming to catch-up
Christopher Casley - November 13, 2020

EPO Zooming to catch-up

UPDATE 6 APRIL 2022: On 6 April 2022, the EPO issued a notice extending its pilot project for ...

Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine provides protection against SARS-CoV-2
Nick Sutcliffe - November 13, 2020

Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine provides protection against SARS-CoV-2

Pfizer/BioNTech have now released more data from the Phase 3 clinical trial of the BNT162b2 ...

MycoTechnology wins $1M in protein challenge, accelerating growth of mushroom fermentation platform
Frances Salisbury - November 5, 2020

MycoTechnology wins $1M in protein challenge, accelerating growth of mushroom fermentation platform

Our client, MycoTechnology, has won the Radicle Growth Protein Challenge by Syngenta, earning the ...

Highly-engineered antibodies: evolving the patent strategy
Rebecca Tollervey - October 30, 2020

Highly-engineered antibodies: evolving the patent strategy

In recent years, antibody engineering has moved into a new phase of complexity, with a ...

Personalising medicine based on gut reaction
Joseph Newcombe - October 29, 2020

Personalising medicine based on gut reaction

No, we are not talking about jumping to conclusions, but the reactions carried out by the gut ...

Hummingbird Bioscience to start clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2-targeted antibody, HMBD-115
Adam Gregory - October 27, 2020

Hummingbird Bioscience to start clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2-targeted antibody, HMBD-115

Our client, Hummingbird Bioscience, has received regulatory authorisation to initiate clinical ...

Chambers & Partners 2020 Legal Guide - Band 1 Recommended Firm
Jacqueline Murphy - October 23, 2020

Chambers & Partners 2020 Legal Guide - Band 1 Recommended Firm

We are pleased to report that Mewburn Ellis has been ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners 2020 ...

MIP IP STARS: The Rising Stars in IP 2020
Jacqueline Murphy - October 22, 2020

MIP IP STARS: The Rising Stars in IP 2020

Congratulations to Rebecca Anderson-Smith, Callum McGuinn and Ben Tolley for being recognised as ...

Liquid biopsies support precision medicine
Nick Sutcliffe - October 21, 2020

Liquid biopsies support precision medicine

The treatment of cancer patients with therapies that are specifically targeted to their cancer is a ...

Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for CRISPR
Katherine Green - October 9, 2020

Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for CRISPR "genetic scissors"

In 2012, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier published their ground-breaking paper in ...

Minimally invasive, maximum potential: liquid biopsy is redefining diagnosis
Anna Mudge - October 9, 2020

Minimally invasive, maximum potential: liquid biopsy is redefining diagnosis

Many of us will know someone who has undergone a biopsy during a medical diagnosis: we may even ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2021
Jacqueline Murphy - October 1, 2020

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2021

We are delighted to be ranked top tier for our patent practice in the 2021 edition of The Legal ...

More like the real meal - alternative plant-based proteins
Fay Allen - September 24, 2020

More like the real meal - alternative plant-based proteins

Plant-based protein alternatives have arrived in the UK in a big way, where sales of meat-free ...

Genomics medicine has already proved its potential: the (success) story of non-invasive prenatal testing
Camille Terfve - September 24, 2020

Genomics medicine has already proved its potential: the (success) story of non-invasive prenatal testing

We have previously discussed the tremendous progress made towards the adoption of genomics medicine ...

Making the detection of cancer in liquid biopsies more sensitive
Nick Sutcliffe - September 22, 2020

Making the detection of cancer in liquid biopsies more sensitive

Besides being found within the nucleus and mitochondria of cells, DNA is also present in ...

Trust at the dinner table: public perception and regulation of novel food technologies
Adam Gregory - September 14, 2020

Trust at the dinner table: public perception and regulation of novel food technologies

The history of humanity is the history of food technology. From the moment early hominids developed ...

Pepper decision means conventionally bred plants and animals get a chilli reception at the EPO
Nick Sutcliffe - September 11, 2020

Pepper decision means conventionally bred plants and animals get a chilli reception at the EPO

Dr Ben Tolley and Dr Nick Sutcliffe of the Life Sciences team look at the extensive ramifications ...

Neoantigens: IP considerations for an emerging class of cancer immunotherapy
Frances Salisbury - September 10, 2020

Neoantigens: IP considerations for an emerging class of cancer immunotherapy

Recent cell and gene therapy product approvals have allowed the pharmaceutical industry to start a ...

The emergence of liquid biopsies as companion diagnostics
Jane Liu - September 2, 2020

The emergence of liquid biopsies as companion diagnostics

The development of liquid biopsies The term liquid biopsy refers to the use of different body ...

Outstanding in the field - Biotechnology and the search for improved crops
Sarah Harvey - August 28, 2020

Outstanding in the field - Biotechnology and the search for improved crops

At a time that the media is saturated with COVID-19 news, it can be easy to lose sight of other ...

Growing Underground: In the pink
Simon Kremer - August 28, 2020

Growing Underground: In the pink

Forward editor Caitlin Mackesy Davies finds out why one of our best models for the future of food ...

Beyond cultured meat: Cellular Agriculture and animal products
Adam Gregory - August 27, 2020

Beyond cultured meat: Cellular Agriculture and animal products

In recent months, lab-grown meat is getting a lot of attention. As environmental concerns and ...

Is the future of meat animal-free?
Adam Gregory - August 24, 2020

Is the future of meat animal-free?

Compelling advancements in cellular science could soon see us choosing to abandon animal ...

Most Opposed Patents of 2019
Katherine Green - August 21, 2020

Most Opposed Patents of 2019

The four thousand or so European patents that are opposed every year represent only about 3% of all ...

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped clear a new path to patenting dosage regimes
Simon Kiddle - August 20, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped clear a new path to patenting dosage regimes

Case 10 – T 1020/03 (EPO Board of Appeal, 29 October 2004)

A shore thing: eco-friendly seaweed materials
Simon Kiddle - August 7, 2020

A shore thing: eco-friendly seaweed materials

It may be a bother for sunbathers, but seaweed is a promising eco-friendly industrial material.

Cellular Agriculture – forecasting innovation
Adam Gregory - August 3, 2020

Cellular Agriculture – forecasting innovation

In their recent article in Nature Food, high-profile figures in the field of Cellular Agriculture – ...

Oppositions & Appeals: novelty of a patient sub-population
Seán Walton - July 24, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: novelty of a patient sub-population

Case 9 – T 734/12 (EPO Board of Appeal, 17 May 2013)

UK formally withdraws from the UPC
Victoria Coleman - July 21, 2020

UK formally withdraws from the UPC

In a statement to Parliament on 20 July 2020, the government formally confirmed the UK’s withdrawal ...

Are functional foods worth the fuss?
Chris Denison - July 21, 2020

Are functional foods worth the fuss?

Forward: features discuss and celebrate the best of innovation and exploration from the scientific ...

Five tips for patenting inventions in personalised and stratified medicine
Frances Salisbury - July 16, 2020

Five tips for patenting inventions in personalised and stratified medicine

As medical treatments become increasingly bespoke, we reveal some best practices to ensure that you ...

Can software be therapeutic?
Camille Terfve - July 14, 2020

Can software be therapeutic?

The simple answer is: yes. Thanks for reading this post, stay tuned for more answers to your ...

String theory: how bundling IP rights strengthens bioinformatics products
Sean Jauss - July 14, 2020

String theory: how bundling IP rights strengthens bioinformatics products

As part of our Thought Leaders series, Mewburn Ellis Partner Sean Jauss explores how bundling IP ...

“Test, test, test” – the importance of diagnostics in pandemic preparedness
Rachel Oxley - July 9, 2020

“Test, test, test” – the importance of diagnostics in pandemic preparedness

While the world waits for a vaccine to be developed and approved for use against the COVID-19 ...

Protecting IP in bioinformatics and digital health: tips and tricks to tackle the “moving target problem”
Camille Terfve - July 6, 2020

Protecting IP in bioinformatics and digital health: tips and tricks to tackle the “moving target problem”

As previously discussed, data driven approaches have revolutionised research and R&D in the ...

Supreme Court confirms strict line on insufficiency in the UK
Nick Sutcliffe - June 29, 2020

Supreme Court confirms strict line on insufficiency in the UK

On 24 June 2020, the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) confirmed the UK courts’ strict approach to sufficient ...

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped determine the meaning of “surgery”
Simon Kiddle - June 29, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped determine the meaning of “surgery”

Case 8 – T 1695/07 (EPO Board of Appeal, 28 September 2011)

Cellular immunity – a contributor to COVID-19 “dark matter”?
Rebecca Tollervey - June 25, 2020

Cellular immunity – a contributor to COVID-19 “dark matter”?

Immunologist Karl Friston of University College London has theorized that there may be ...

A Guide to Patenting Bioinformatics Inventions at the EPO: what is technical and why does it matter?
Camille Terfve - June 23, 2020

A Guide to Patenting Bioinformatics Inventions at the EPO: what is technical and why does it matter?

Many inventions in the field of bioinformatics (a term that we will use herein to encompass ...

Financial Times: Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms 2020
Helen Bower - June 19, 2020

Financial Times: Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms 2020

We are delighted to once again be recognised in the Financial Times’ annual report on Europe’s ...

IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2020
Jacqueline Murphy - June 16, 2020

IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2020

We are delighted to once again be ranked ‘highly recommended’ in ‘IAM 1000: The World’s Leading ...

Can CRISPR help us in the fight against COVID-19?
Sean Constable - June 10, 2020

Can CRISPR help us in the fight against COVID-19?

As countries across the world continue to face widespread disruption in the face of the COVID-19 ...

Links between COVID-19 severity and the immune system
Tanis Keirstead - June 5, 2020

Links between COVID-19 severity and the immune system

The mechanism through which SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infects cells is known. The ...

Have we entered the era of the DIY superhuman?
Camille Terfve - June 3, 2020

Have we entered the era of the DIY superhuman?

Self-improvement products are everywhere around us, on our bookshelves and supermarket shelves ...

G3/19 The Enlarged Board of Appeal has its cake and eats it
Nick Sutcliffe - May 19, 2020

G3/19 The Enlarged Board of Appeal has its cake and eats it

On 14 May 2020, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EBA) released their ...

Oppositions & Appeals: We helped shape the debate on medical use claim patentability
Simon Kiddle - May 18, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We helped shape the debate on medical use claim patentability

Case 7 – T 879/12 (EPO Board of Appeal, 27 August 2014)

New coronavirus (COVID-19) test allows rapid detection of neutralising antibodies
Adam Gregory - May 15, 2020

New coronavirus (COVID-19) test allows rapid detection of neutralising antibodies

Our client, Duke-NUS, has helped to develop a new, rapid serological test for determining whether ...

BREAKING: G3/19 – an end to the plant patentability saga?
Thomas Driver - May 14, 2020

BREAKING: G3/19 – an end to the plant patentability saga?

On 14 May 2020, the Enlarged Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office released their decision ...

Singapore's biotech breakthrough
Richard Clegg - May 14, 2020

Singapore's biotech breakthrough

From the far east to the east coast of America, the world is taking note of a new energy surging ...

InVEntions of WWII
Joseph Newcombe - May 7, 2020

InVEntions of WWII

VE day on Friday 8 May 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. In 1945 the day ...

Can a functionally defined patent claim ‘protect’ my medicinal product?
Rhiannon Wescott - May 1, 2020

Can a functionally defined patent claim ‘protect’ my medicinal product?

From a patent perspective this may seem like a strange question with an obvious answer; “of ...

BerGenBio’s bemcentinib selected for fast track as potential treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19)
Robert Andrews - April 30, 2020

BerGenBio’s bemcentinib selected for fast track as potential treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19)

In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, bemcentinib produced by BerGenBio has been selected ...

Oppositions & Appeals: We moved the conversation on animal involvement
Simon Kiddle - April 27, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We moved the conversation on animal involvement

Case 6 – T 1262/04 (EPO Board of Appeal, 13 July 2012)

Coronavirus (COVID-19), big data and silver linings
Camille Terfve - April 23, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19), big data and silver linings

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic will have tremendous practical and economic impact ...

Antibody tests for prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 – key tools for monitoring and managing the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Adam Gregory - April 14, 2020

Antibody tests for prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 – key tools for monitoring and managing the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

In recent weeks there’s been a lot of discussion in the media of antibody tests relating to ...

What use is computational biology during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?
Camille Terfve - April 6, 2020

What use is computational biology during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

There is one obvious way in which computational biology is showing its strengths in the current ...

A*STAR and MiRXES step up in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19)
Eliot Ward - April 2, 2020

A*STAR and MiRXES step up in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19)

Our Singapore based-clients A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) and MiRXES are ...

Neoantigen-targeted adoptive cell therapies – the next frontier in cancer immunotherapy
Anna Mudge - March 31, 2020

Neoantigen-targeted adoptive cell therapies – the next frontier in cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapies harness the power of the patient’s immune system to destroy malignant cells ...

CRISPR used in gene editing clinical trial for first time
Sean Constable - March 30, 2020

CRISPR used in gene editing clinical trial for first time

The revolutionary CRISPR gene editing tool has been used inside the human body for the first time ...

Microbiome: Meet your multitude
Eliot Ward - March 25, 2020

Microbiome: Meet your multitude

The health and wellbeing of each of us depends upon a number of vast communities of microbes that ...

Coronavirus (COVID-19): a case study in emerging disease
Tanis Keirstead - March 24, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): a case study in emerging disease

UPDATE 14 APRIL 2022: In his blog Horizons in vaccine production, we explore pressing need to ...

Vaccine platform technologies to combat emerging infectious diseases
Lucy White - March 23, 2020

Vaccine platform technologies to combat emerging infectious diseases

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is now a global pandemic. In a previous post, we discussed the need to act ...

Bioinformatics - science's big secret
Camille Terfve - March 18, 2020

Bioinformatics - science's big secret

Now deeply woven into the fabric of biological research, bioinformatics has become the secret sauce ...

Oppositions & Appeals: We set the standard for the strawman
Seán Walton - March 12, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We set the standard for the strawman

Case 5 - T 649/92 (EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal, 2 July 1996)

Bioinformatics, data and healthcare: Benefits and challenges of data-driven medicine
Camille Terfve - March 9, 2020

Bioinformatics, data and healthcare: Benefits and challenges of data-driven medicine

Algorithms (sometimes collectively referred to as ‘digital health’) are changing the way that ...

EPO streamlining: the opposition timeline tightens
Katherine Green - February 24, 2020

EPO streamlining: the opposition timeline tightens

Our analysis of patent oppositions has revealed that early action has become imperative for ...

What makes Massachusetts small but mighty?
Anna Mudge - February 19, 2020

What makes Massachusetts small but mighty?

Deirdre Sanders, president of the Boston Patent Law Association and a principle at Hamilton Brook ...

The evolutionary history of cancer - predicting the disease
Nick Sutcliffe - February 18, 2020

The evolutionary history of cancer - predicting the disease

Cells can acquire the mutations that drive the development of cancer many years before the patient ...

Genomics and Biodata in 2020: the future is here!
Camille Terfve - February 14, 2020

Genomics and Biodata in 2020: the future is here!

I have been working in the field of bioinformatics/computational biology for 10 years now and have ...

Oppositions & Appeals: we opened the door for different types of data to support a medical use 
Richard Clegg - February 12, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: we opened the door for different types of data to support a medical use 

Case 4 - T 801/06 (EPO Board of Appeal, 4 March 2009)

Genomics and Biodata in 2020: so much data, so little time?
Camille Terfve - February 7, 2020

Genomics and Biodata in 2020: so much data, so little time?

Having attended the Festival of Genomics & Biodata 2020 conference last week, it is clear that ...

Genetic engineering and synthetic biology – making cannabis production greener
Thomas Driver - February 6, 2020

Genetic engineering and synthetic biology – making cannabis production greener

The therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis have been liberally splashed across newspaper ...

Enleofen strikes Singapore’s biggest ever biotech deal
Adam Gregory - February 4, 2020

Enleofen strikes Singapore’s biggest ever biotech deal

In January it was announced that global pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired ...

Munich office expansion with high-profile lateral hire
Maria Hall - February 3, 2020

Munich office expansion with high-profile lateral hire

We are delighted to announce the high-profile appointment of Dr. Thomas Wolter into our Munich ...

Farming the great indoors
Adam Gregory - January 30, 2020

Farming the great indoors

When you think of a farm, what comes to mind? Rolling fields of green new growth, and carpets of ...

Advancements of genetic testing
Katherine Collins - January 29, 2020

Advancements of genetic testing

The sequencing of the first human genome in 2003 was a major breakthrough in genomics. While this ...

Oppositions & Appeals: We made the case for a new technical effect
Simon Kiddle - January 29, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We made the case for a new technical effect

Case 3 - T 1642/06 (EPO Board of Appeal, 23 August 2007)

Simulations in bioinformatics and the G1/19 referral
Camille Terfve - January 23, 2020

Simulations in bioinformatics and the G1/19 referral

What’s all this about? Claims directed to methods of simulation or modelling of a system or process ...

EPO Board of Appeal confirms Broad Institute’s CRISPR patent lacks priority and upholds revocation decision
Sean Constable - January 17, 2020

EPO Board of Appeal confirms Broad Institute’s CRISPR patent lacks priority and upholds revocation decision

In one of the most high profile cases of recent years, a European Patent Office (EPO) Board of ...

AI, deep learning and image analysis in bioinformatics
Camille Terfve - January 2, 2020

AI, deep learning and image analysis in bioinformatics

Putting “AI” in the title of your paper, or indeed in the name of your company, seems to have ...

Will biomarkers come of age?
Anna Mudge - December 18, 2019

Will biomarkers come of age?

The world’s population is ageing. In 2018, for the first time in history, people aged 65 or above ...

Bioinformatics: biological and medical sciences in the age of big data
Camille Terfve - December 16, 2019

Bioinformatics: biological and medical sciences in the age of big data

What is bioinformatics? Bioinformatics is a term which we will use as an umbrella to encompass work ...

Bioinformatics is everywhere!
Camille Terfve - December 16, 2019

Bioinformatics is everywhere!

As discussed in a previous post, most types of biological or medical data that can be collected ...

Collagen scaffolds – the future of tissue engineering?
Isobel Stone - December 16, 2019

Collagen scaffolds – the future of tissue engineering?

Despite the success of organ transplantation since its inception in the 20th century, people today ...

Gamma/delta T cells emerge as an untapped resource for cancer immunotherapy
Eliot Ward - December 6, 2019

Gamma/delta T cells emerge as an untapped resource for cancer immunotherapy

Third lymphocyte lineage shows its mettle B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that is ...

Biomarkers and precision medicine
Anna Mudge - November 27, 2019

Biomarkers and precision medicine

A biomarker, an amalgamation of the term ‘biological marker’, is a measurable indicator of a ...

Meet the team: Richard Clegg, Partner, European Patent Attorney, Patent Attorney Litigator
Richard Clegg - November 15, 2019

Meet the team: Richard Clegg, Partner, European Patent Attorney, Patent Attorney Litigator

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Richard Clegg about his journey to becoming a ...

New report launched: EPO Opposition Trends in the Life Sciences Sector
Maria Hall - November 14, 2019

New report launched: EPO Opposition Trends in the Life Sciences Sector

Our new research has revealed several recent patterns regarding the European Patent Office ...

EPO oppositions: Nine key questions answered
Katherine Green - November 14, 2019

EPO oppositions: Nine key questions answered

Mewburn Ellis has dug deep into a decade of EPO life sciences' decisions to discover fresh insights ...

Meet the team: Chris Denison, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Chris Denison - November 12, 2019

Meet the team: Chris Denison, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Chris Denison about his journey to becoming a ...

Top tips for patenting antibodies in Europe
Rebecca Tollervey - November 11, 2019

Top tips for patenting antibodies in Europe

Antibody development is a mature field of technology. There are relatively few new targets, and the ...

Oppositions a case to remember: we forced a fuller view of technical features
Seán Walton - November 11, 2019

Oppositions a case to remember: we forced a fuller view of technical features

Case 1 – T 1859/08 ( EPO Board of Appeal, 5 June 2016)

Meet The Team: Simon Kiddle, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Simon Kiddle - November 8, 2019

Meet The Team: Simon Kiddle, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Simon Kiddle about his journey to becoming a ...

Meet The Team: Katherine Green, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Katherine Green - November 5, 2019

Meet The Team: Katherine Green, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Katherine Green about her journey to becoming a ...

EPO Bioinformatics Roadshow
Camille Terfve - October 30, 2019

EPO Bioinformatics Roadshow

There is still a relatively prevalent view in the field of bioinformatics and medical informatics ...

Oppositions - a case to remember. Flexibility around added matter
Katherine Green - October 30, 2019

Oppositions - a case to remember. Flexibility around added matter

Case 2 – T 0099/13 (EPO Board of Appeal, 14 January 2016)

Meet The Team: Emily Hayes, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Emily Hayes - October 28, 2019

Meet The Team: Emily Hayes, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Emily Hayes about her journey to becoming a ...

Employing CRISPR to expose ‘hiding’ cancer cells to immunotherapy
Sean Constable - October 25, 2019

Employing CRISPR to expose ‘hiding’ cancer cells to immunotherapy

Immunotherapy employs the patient’s immune system against cancer. There are various types of ...

Renewable energy – huge potential for biofuel innovation
Thomas Driver - October 23, 2019

Renewable energy – huge potential for biofuel innovation

It has been widely reported in the media recently that we need to do more to address the way in ...

Controlling genes – the new field of epitranscriptomics
Nick Sutcliffe - October 21, 2019

Controlling genes – the new field of epitranscriptomics

The human genome contains roughly 20,000 genes that encode proteins. In order for the cells and ...

T cell engagers - dark horses of immunotherapy
Adam Gregory - September 26, 2019

T cell engagers - dark horses of immunotherapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology has attracted a lot of attention and investment in ...

Obtaining patent protection for fermentation processes and products – the European perspective
Tanis Keirstead - September 19, 2019

Obtaining patent protection for fermentation processes and products – the European perspective

Fermented foods have been known for millennia and form an important part of many national cuisines. ...

Food of the future – regulating and protecting gene-edited crops
Simon Kremer - September 11, 2019

Food of the future – regulating and protecting gene-edited crops

A recent episode of the BBC World Service’s excellent series “50 Things that made the modern ...

DIY biology dilemma – regulating biohacking
Camille Terfve - September 4, 2019

DIY biology dilemma – regulating biohacking

Science kits may have inspired generations of children to become scientists, and those grown up ...

Shifting treatments: cancer as a manageable disease
Nick Sutcliffe - August 29, 2019

Shifting treatments: cancer as a manageable disease

As new treatments drive a shift towards treating cancer as a manageable disease we are seeing ...

Patentable subject matter in bioinformatics - USPTO’s January 2019 guidance
Camille Terfve - August 15, 2019

Patentable subject matter in bioinformatics - USPTO’s January 2019 guidance

In this article, Paul Liu and Ashley Barton from Duane Morris LLP provided some interesting ...

Challenges Post­ Selex
Richard Clegg - August 13, 2019

Challenges Post­ Selex

Twenty-five years ago Tuerk and Gold reported the Selex method. Being the first European patent ...

The rise of predictive medicine
Frances Salisbury - August 5, 2019

The rise of predictive medicine

Thanks to significant advances in genetics, we are not only getting better at diagnosing disease, ...

Cultured meat - food for thought
Adam Gregory - July 23, 2019

Cultured meat - food for thought

Cultured meat is rapidly emerging alongside plant-and microorganism-based alternative meat products ...

New Rules of Procedure at the Boards of Appeal – what does this mean for patentees and opponents?
Emily Hayes - July 9, 2019

New Rules of Procedure at the Boards of Appeal – what does this mean for patentees and opponents?

Revised Rules of Procedure at the Boards of Appeal have been approved by The Administrative Council ...

A Myriad of effects
Emily Hayes - July 5, 2019

A Myriad of effects

Even though the decision in Myriad is now 6 years old and there have been several follow-on cases, ...

Gender medicine – deriving novelty from treating women?
Frances Salisbury - June 26, 2019

Gender medicine – deriving novelty from treating women?

When you hear the term “gender medicine”, what comes to mind? For many people, the term is ...

Singapore biotech start-ups: the importance of patent protection
Adam Gregory - June 21, 2019

Singapore biotech start-ups: the importance of patent protection

Singapore’s biotech industry plays a key role in shaping the country’s future economy. This is ...

Tips from the top: inspiring women in technology
Anna Mudge - June 19, 2019

Tips from the top: inspiring women in technology

You may be surprised to hear that only 17% of those working in Technology in the UK are female. ...

EU approves first gene therapy for patients with a mild form of β-Thalassemia
Frances Salisbury - June 4, 2019

EU approves first gene therapy for patients with a mild form of β-Thalassemia

Exciting news in the personalised medicine space – the EU has just approved the first gene therapy ...

Precision therapeutics for the precision medicine era
Adam Gregory - May 17, 2019

Precision therapeutics for the precision medicine era

In recent years we have seen dramatic advances in our understanding of the intricate and dynamic ...

Personalised medicine: patient stratification
Simon Kiddle - April 29, 2019

Personalised medicine: patient stratification

While the general idea of customising treatment to patients is not new, the degree to which ...

Pioneers of precision medicine
Frances Salisbury - April 15, 2019

Pioneers of precision medicine

Breakthroughs in healthcare promise a future in which the individual sits at the centre of medical ...

Dosage regimen patents: bruised but not beaten
Julie Carlisle - March 28, 2019

Dosage regimen patents: bruised but not beaten

Ruling on the big pharma Actavis v ICOS case, the UK Supreme Court has found ICOS’s Cialis patent ...

Playing for time: strategies that can help extend a drug's patent life
Emily Hayes - March 25, 2019

Playing for time: strategies that can help extend a drug's patent life

In our new magazine Forward, we interview C Hunter Baker of Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks PC. Hunter ...

EPO oral proceedings in Haar - do they infringe a party’s right to be heard? 
Sean Constable - March 6, 2019

EPO oral proceedings in Haar - do they infringe a party’s right to be heard? 

A new referral to the Enlarged Board raises this question... The right to be heard under Article ...

Bioinformatics Inventions: Patenting challenges at the interface of computer and life sciences
Frances Salisbury - February 27, 2019

Bioinformatics Inventions: Patenting challenges at the interface of computer and life sciences

We are entering an age of precision medicine, with patients receiving tailored treatments, selected ...

Is your interest legitimate? New referral to the EBOA on double patenting
Simon Kiddle - February 22, 2019

Is your interest legitimate? New referral to the EBOA on double patenting

EPO Board of Appeal 3.3.01 is referring a number of questions regarding double patenting to the ...

Plant related inventions: clarity at last?
Thomas Driver - February 6, 2019

Plant related inventions: clarity at last?

As we reported previously, EPO Technical Board of Appeal 3304 recently ruled that a controversial ...

Fighting cancer with CAR-T therapies
Frances Salisbury - February 4, 2019

Fighting cancer with CAR-T therapies

In September 2018, NHS England entered into an agreement with Novartis to offer its CAR-T therapy, ...

Commercialising genomic research in the US: tips for obtaining patent protection
Emily Hayes - January 30, 2019

Commercialising genomic research in the US: tips for obtaining patent protection

The field of genomics has seen incredible advances over the past few decades. Technological ...

China - a key player in the global precision medicine race
Frances Salisbury - January 30, 2019

China - a key player in the global precision medicine race

With a growing economy, and a large, ageing population, China is attracting attention from global ...

Eight key themes from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference
Sean Jauss - January 14, 2019

Eight key themes from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

I’ve spent the last few days talking with biotech entrepreneurs, VC fund managers and lawyers ...

Precision medicine: ethics, regulation and patent law
Frances Salisbury - December 13, 2018

Precision medicine: ethics, regulation and patent law

New genomic and proteomic analysis technologies allow for diagnosis and prognosis of patients with ...

Plant related inventions: the saga continues
Frances Salisbury - December 10, 2018

Plant related inventions: the saga continues

We may be approaching the end of the year, but the saga of patents for plant related inventions at ...

Patent protection: five tips for biotech start-ups
Adam Gregory - December 10, 2018

Patent protection: five tips for biotech start-ups

Early-stage biotech companies are often founded based on the exciting results of pre-clinical ...

Clovis Oncology success in European Opposition Proceedings related to Rubraca®
Richard Clegg - December 10, 2018

Clovis Oncology success in European Opposition Proceedings related to Rubraca®

Clovis Oncology has announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) last week upheld claims of ...

The importance of Innovation Hubs in the UK's North West Region
Anna Mudge - December 2, 2018

The importance of Innovation Hubs in the UK's North West Region

Life science ‘start-ups’, ‘spin-outs’ and SMEs are some of the most innovative businesses and are ...

Supreme Court decision signals bad news for patent holders
Nick Sutcliffe - November 14, 2018

Supreme Court decision signals bad news for patent holders

The UK Supreme Court issued its decision today on the Warner Lambert vs Generics (UK) Ltd t/a ...

Precision Medicine: the next revolution in healthcare
Frances Salisbury - October 31, 2018

Precision Medicine: the next revolution in healthcare

In recent years, we have witnessed a remarkable healthcare revolution. Thanks to advances in ...

Morphosis: creating and nurturing biotech start-ups in Singapore
Richard Clegg - October 31, 2018

Morphosis: creating and nurturing biotech start-ups in Singapore

We understand that early-stage biotech companies do not have it easy. It is a long road from ...

The pioneering work of Professor Sir Greg Winter
Seán Walton - October 3, 2018

The pioneering work of Professor Sir Greg Winter

Professor Sir Greg Winter’s pioneering work using phage display for the directed evolution of ...

Changes to inter partes review system for challenging granted patents
Simon Kremer - April 30, 2018

Changes to inter partes review system for challenging granted patents

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two important decisions relating to inter partes review ...

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