Antibody Patenting - A Training Course on Drafting, Prosecution and Enforcement

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, most notably Amgen v. Sanofi, 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.