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.

EPO Oppositions expertise

Chris has extensive experience representing clients at opposition and appeal hearings at the EPO. He has had main responsibility for or led more than 50 cases, defending and opposing patents in diverse technical fields across the Life Sciences sector, many of them highly complex, multi-party cases, for example: 

Offensive Oppositions

• EP1874821, T0956/19 Strawman Limited and Amgen Research (Munich) GmbH v Lindis Biotech GmbH.  Successful revocation of medical use claims relating to comedication for bispecific T cell engaging antibodies, after opposition and appeal proceedings spanning 10 years, with 2 sets of oral proceedings at both instances.
• EP3071219, T0816/22 CSL Innovation Pty, Ltd v Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Successful revocation of medical use claims relating to a dosage regimen for C1 esterase inhibitor in the treatment of antibody-mediated transplant rejection.
• EP2548950, T1514/20 Strawman Limited and 2 others v Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Inc. Successful revocation of patent relating to methods of preparing iPS cells from peripheral blood.
• EP2368913, Strawman Limited and 4 others v Greenovation Biotech GmbH. Successful revocation of patent relating to antibody compositions with reduced levels of glycosylation and C-terminal lysine variants.
• EP1776137, Strawman Limited v Ipsen Biopharm Limited. Immediate surrender of patent for medical uses of botulinum toxin A2.
• EP2391714, Strawman Limited v Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Immediate limitation of patent following highly focused opposition against only certain claims of interest.

Defensive Oppositions

• EP666868, T 0859/05 Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v Genentech, Inc. Successful defence of the foundational patent for the blockbuster therapeutic anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab (Avastin®).
• Following the case mentioned above, Chris has handled and continues to handle multiple defensive oppositions to later patents for bevacizumab in combination treatments and/or for specific indications, against up to 10 opponents.  Although there have been both wins and losses in this highly challenging portfolio, successful defences include EP1998805 T1678/15 and EP2364732 Gedeon Richter Pharma v F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG for anti-VEGF + anti-HER2 combination treatments and EP2361085 T2730/17 Cabinet Beau de Loménie; Glas, Holger; and Pfizer, Inc. v F. Hoffmann-La Roche for bevacizumab in combination with anthracyclines for the treatment of recurrent breast cancer.

Recommendations

"Chris Denison demonstrated exceptional professionalism and skill during our opposition proceedings. His ability to distill complex issues into compelling arguments addressing the most critical aspects combined with a clear and persuasive presentation during the hearing, played a pivotal role in securing a favorable result. His discovery of a decisive document further demonstrated his commitment to the case. We are extremely satisfied with his work and highly recommend his services."- one of the 50 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world

Chris has been recognised in IAM Patent 1000 - 2012-2015, 2017-2024. 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 2018-2024.

'Key Lawyer' - The Legal 500, 2019.