Life Sciences Patents

There has rarely been a more exciting time to be involved in Life Sciences. This is a time when genetic material can be edited with precision; when the power of the immune system is being harnessed to cure disease; and when bioinformatics and big data open the door for treatments that are truly bespoke for each person. We are proud to offer IP support to innovator companies across this rapidly evolving field.

Our large and vastly experienced team leads the way in life sciences patents. From therapeutics to medical devices, genetic engineering and diagnostics, we cover every aspect. We have been working to protect these inventions since the earliest days of the biotechnology revolution, and we have been shaping IP law in this area since the very beginning. We combine our years of experience with creative, fresh thinking, to design IP strategies that will work in a changing world.

Mewburn Ellis is consistently regarded as a leading choice for IP protection among the world’s top biopharmaceutical companies.  We have deep experience of working to protect high-profile biologics. IP specialists in the team defended patents for half of the top ten selling biologic drugs in 2020, with annual sales for these drugs amounting to over $40 billion.

We are also proud to support many large and small pharma company clients. The Mewburn team includes pharmaceuticals IP specialists who have taken small molecule therapies from first patent draft to worldwide launch, with deep understanding of where real value can be added.

We have long been at the forefront of developing EPO practice in the life sciences field.  For instance, we’ve helped to secure recognition of the patentability of therapeutic treatments based on new diagnostic regimens, new technical effects and new patient subgroups. These influential decisions have helped our clients to protect their investment throughout the drug life cycle.

Our Life Sciences patent team is distinguished by its large number of highly experienced attorneys. Some firms can offer one or two leading figures, we have many. We have an excellent reputation for opposition and appeal work before the EPO and we have many partners who are highly active in this area. This enables us to give each case the attention it requires, and contributes to our enviable success rate.

We also have a strong track record in nurturing inventions arising from universities and research organisations. We have provided the IP foundation on which numerous biotechnology start-up & spin-out companies have been built, and we are proud to have supported many companies through to successful IPO, acquisition or expansion.

Of course, a strong IP strategy in life sciences is about much more than just patents.  For some clients we operate as a surrogate for an in-house IP group, dialling up and down the support according to business needs – covering everything from due diligences, in/out-licensing, drafting & patent portfolio building, freedom-to-operate support and industry-specific strategic advice.

As one of the largest IP specialist firms in Europe, Mewburn Ellis can offer a wealth of relevant expertise, from trade mark protection to Plant Variety Rights (PVRs).

Our legal services team is distinguished by a strong technical background in life science and considerable experience in dealing with regulatory issues, clinical trial practice, and IP exploitation in the this sector. Our Extensions and Exclusivity team includes experienced IP counsel who previously specialised in this area while working in-house for a global pharmaceutical company. Our team regularly supports clients on strategic commercial exclusivity analysis for their products – taking account of the patent, regulatory and real-world factors in order to guide extensions strategy, often before progressing on to the SPC and PTE filings themselves.