Antibody Patenting

• Essentials of antibody patenting in Europe, America and Asia
• The EPO practice and the case-law of the Boards of Appeal in the field of antibody inventions, with remarks to differing national practice
• The industry perspective on protecting antibody inventions
• Litigation of antibody patents in Europe, America and Asia
• Antibody Patenting FORUM

Who should attend

Antibodies have revolutionized medicine and biotechnology, and have become indispensable tools in therapy, diagnostics, analytics, and research. Therapeutic antibodies, for example, feature ever more prominently in the ranks of blockbuster drugs. At the same time, a body of case law dealing specifically with the patentability of antibody-related inventions and the enforcement of antibody patents has emerged in major jurisdictions. The, at times, significant divergences between different jurisdictions have been compounded by recent decisions in the United States, including the US Supreme Court decision in Amgen v. Sanofi of May 18, 2023, which have severely curtailed the possibilities to obtain broad antibody patents. It is therefore essential to understand how antibody inventions are assessed in different jurisdictions in order to secure an optimal patent protection and to successfully enforce such patents.

This training course is designed to provide a profound understanding of the patenting of antibodies, with a special focus on the EPO and a comparative overview of the practice in major American and Asian jurisdictions. Participants will gain valuable insights and practical advice covering all stages from initial drafting and prosecution to the litigation of antibody patents.

After the course, you will

• know how to better draft claims for antibody patents,
• have an overview of the current EPO practice and of the Boards of Appeal decisions in the field of antibody inventions
• benefit from in-depth discussions with an industry representative and a Boards of Appeal member