Our People Chris Denison

Chris is proficient in prosecution, opposition and appeal work at the European Patent Office. He also provides associated litigation support in the biotech field, especially biopharmaceuticals, from early stage research through to lifecycle management of approved blockbuster products. Chris has particular experience of large portfolio management, including diverse portfolios arising from large research programmes and those centred about particular products.

Areas of Expertise

• Antibodies, especially targeted anti-cancer antibodies.
  miRNA
• Novel nucleotides
• Niche interest in functional foods.

Clients

Chris works with a number of overseas clients, including multinational pharmaceutical companies, Japanese food companies and US and Japanese research institutions and biopharma companies of all sizes.

Background

Chris has a degree in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge. He joined Mewburn Ellis LLP in 1996 before qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 1999 and later as European Patent Attorney in 2000. He joined the partnership in 2002.

Opposition highlights

Chris has worked on over 51 opposition cases, here are some cases:

EP 0666868, Genentech v Peregrine Pharmaceuticals - Successful defence of the base patent for the blockbuster anti-VEGF antibody Avastin® (bevacizumab), the first drug used clinically to treat cancer by inhibiting angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels to supply the tumour). Chris's work on this case laid the foundation for handling multiple further defensive oppositions in the Avastin portfolio throughout his career to-date, including cases with 9 and 10 opponents. 

EP 2361085, Roche v 3 opponents - Successful defence of a patent for bevacizumab in combination with anthracycline for use in the treatment of breast cancer. This was a rare example of a patent based on phase III clinical trial data, being upheld despite the prior art knowledge that the trial was in progress to investigate the claimed therapeutic effect. Success in this case resulted from extensive discussions with the clinical trials team to understand how toxicity concerns had shaped the clinical trial design, allowing Chris to rebut the EPO’s default presumption of a reasonable expectation of success in this prior art situation.

EP 2287192, Five Prime v Novartis - An opposition against a patent relating to the use of an anti-CSF1R antibody to reduce bone metastasis, resulting in complete revocation.

Recommendations

Chris has been recognised in IAM Patent 1000 - 2012-2015, 2017-2022. In the 2019 IAM Patent 1000 guide, he was acknowledged for his work on a 2015 report, prepared for the Japan Patent Office by the Japanese Institute of Intellectual Property, on functional foods which “transformed the way the Japan Patent Office deals with patentability in this area”.

"an agile manager of weighty biotechnology portfolios and a persuasive performer in oppositions." - IAM Patent 1000, 2021

Chris is recognised for his "foothold in the niche area of functional foods".- IAM Patent 1000, 2020

Chris is named a Patent Star in Managing Intellectual Property: IP Stars 2018-2023.

'Key Lawyer' - The Legal 500, 2019.