Latest News & Features
Big Pharma
While we await the outcome of the appeal in Warner-Lambert v Actavis, which concerns second medical use patents, there are several steps drugs companies should take given the need to balance the interests of patent owners and generic makers. Clare Greatbanks of Osborne Clarke reports. 1 September 2016
Big Pharma
The consequences of the Brexit vote for the life sciences sector will depend on the UK’s relationship with the EU once the negotiations are concluded, as Christina Guazzi and Nina Schäffner of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer explain. 25 August 2016
Americas
Although recent Federal Circuit decisions on the ‘patent dance’ provide some clarity, the BPCIA still presents difficult and hotly debated issues of interpretation. Stacie Ropka, William Rose and Ryan Hersh of Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider report. 23 August 2016
Americas
The US Supreme Court’s Mayo and Myriad decisions have brought challenges to subject matter eligibility to the forefront in the biomedical industry, but they do not signal the end of biomedical patents. Pat Carson and Mira Atanassova Mulvaney of Kirkland & Ellis report. 18 August 2016
Asia-Pacific
In Australia, laws governing the patentability of inventions directed to gene-based technology, including isolated naturally occurring and artificial gene sequences, are contentious. Unlike the US situation, the law on patentability of inventions involving “principles of nature” in Australia has yet to be considered judicially, but that is about to change, says Grant Shoebridge of Shelston IP. 16 August 2016
Asia
Even if India moves towards a patent-unfriendly environment for green technologies, the pro-patent and pro-environment lobbies can coexist and meet their respective goals, argue Swarup Kumar and Jitesh Kumar of Remfry & Sagar. 11 August 2016
Americas
The US and China take very different approaches to the patentability of a range of inventions in the life sciences field, as Yu Guo of China Patent Agent reports. 9 August 2016
Americas
Inter-partes reviews (IPRs) can be a powerful weapon against patents listed in the Orange Book. However, IPR practice favours a petitioner who has carefully thought about the issues and crafted the best strategy, says Mark Remus of Brinks Gilson & Lione. 4 August 2016
Americas
The Brazilian Federal Prosecutor’s Office has taken court action against Roche for allegedly abusing IP rights in its sales of Herceptin to state governments. Anderson Ribeiro and Ricardo Campello of Provedel Advogados analyse the case. 2 August 2016
Europe
The European Patent Office has announced several reforms to its patent opposition procedures. Stephanie Pilkington and Ling Zhuang of Potter Clarkson consider some of their implications for centralised patent revocation in Europe from a life sciences perspective. 28 July 2016