The Pharma and Biotechnology industries have been affected by the recent uptakes and patent rejections of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Following the release of memorandum on Preliminary Examination Instructions in light of Alice Corp last 2014, the USPTO has been stricter in granting patent eligibility under §101. The office has begun issuing Alice rejections where no previous 101 patent eligibility rejection stood, and these included pharma- and biotech-related patents. Because of the continued impact of the rejections, it is important to know how pharma and biotechnology industries should gear up for patent protection.
In a webinar brought together by The Knowledge Group, WilmerHale Counsel Bo Han will join a panel of distinguished professionals to help pharma and biotech professionals understand the important aspects of this significant topic.
Key topics include:
- Overview of the 2014 US Supreme Court Decision on Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank
- 35 USC 101 in light of Alice
- Requirements in § 101
- Developments in the biotech/pharma arena since Alice: focus on ◦RLM v. CellzDirect and Sequenom v. Ariosa
- Steps in Assessing Patent Eligibility for Pharma and Biotech
- Understanding how Examiners are thinking about the process
- Strategies for Overcoming and Preventing §101 Rejections in Biotech Patents