Joseph Newcombe

Joseph is a UK and European patent attorney with deep expertise in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. He advises clients across all stages of the patent lifecycle, from invention capture and patent drafting to prosecution, opposition proceedings, due diligence, and freedom-to-operate analysis.  The majority of Joseph’s work focuses on European patent prosecution, supporting a diverse client base that includes university spin-outs, SMEs, and global biopharmaceutical companies.

He is committed to providing exceptional client care, acting as an extension of his clients’ teams. Having spent several months seconded to the IP department of an international pharmaceutical company, he has first-hand experience of the fast-paced, high-pressure environment faced by in-house IP counsel.

A keen observer of industry trends, Joseph regularly writes and reviews articles on pharmaceutical advancements. He has also been a regular columnist on sustainability in pharma for an online publication.

Qualifications & Technical Background

Joseph holds an MChem degree from the University of Sussex and a PhD from UCL.

His master’s research focused on designing and synthesizing new compounds at the lead optimization stage of a drug discovery program; one that has since progressed to clinical trials (Phase I initiated in 2023). During his undergraduate studies, he was recognized for academic excellence, receiving multiple awards, including the highest overall performance prize for the MChem program.

His PhD research explored allosteric modulators of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). He designed and synthesized a UV-activated covalent allosteric modulator of the α7 nAChR and developed computational tools to better understand receptor structure and predict the location of allosteric binding sites. His contributions have been featured in several peer-reviewed publications:

• Newcombe J., et al. (2018) Molecular Pharmacology, 93(2), 128-140. DOI:10.1124/mol.117.110551
• Smelt, C., et al. (2018) Neuropharmacology, 139, 194-204. DOI:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.009
• Fedele, L., et al. (2018) Nature Communications, 9(1), 957. DOI:10.1038/s41467-018-02927-4
• Pereira, R., et al. (2019) Chem. Eur. J., 25, 2345-2351. DOI:10.1002/chem.201805473

Professional Career

Joseph joined Mewburn Ellis in 2018 and qualified as both a UK Chartered Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney in 2022. In 2023, he obtained the Intellectual Property Litigation Certificate under the IPReg Rules and is authorized to represent clients at the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

He is actively involved in Mewburn Ellis’ highly regarded in-house training program, delivering tutorials for the UK and European patent qualifying examinations.

Memberships & Affiliations

•  Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA).
• Member of the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi).
• Member of IPSoc, the society for junior IP practitioners.