In the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, when negotiations on technology transfer or acquisitions proceed without an FTO (freedom to operate) patent-infringement review, risks of patent conflicts often emerge during due diligence, leading to reversed transaction terms or delayed or aborted talks, the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) explains. /Courtesy of Chat GPT

Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) said on the 23rd it will hold "U.S. life sciences patent response practical training" on June 12 at the association's 4th-floor auditorium in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

The training was prepared to strengthen capabilities to proactively respond to U.S. patent risks commonly faced by pharmaceutical and bio corporations pursuing global expansion, including tech transfer, partnering, and overseas clinical trials.

The association explained that in the field, there are frequent cases where, without a Freedom to Operate (FTO) patent-infringement analysis, negotiations fall through or a transaction is delayed when intellectual property (IP) issues arise during corporate due diligence. In particular, with Korea's revenue environment changing, observers noted the importance of responding to U.S. patents is growing.

The training consists of three sessions. ▲ The reality of patent disputes in the U.S. life sciences (biohealth) sector and FTO fundamentals with practical considerations ▲ U.S. patent design-around strategies and global dispute trends ▲ Global IP strategies and commercialization readiness at the research and development (R&D) stage.

The association expects this will equip practitioners with strategic response capabilities they can apply immediately in the field.

The lecture will be led by attorney Nam In-young, a New York and California lawyer and patent litigation expert. Nam has more than 10 years of experience handling life sciences patent litigation at Latham & Watkins and Kim & Chang, and earned a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley.

The course targets research and development (R&D) and IP staff, business development (BD) and corporate planning staff, and executives at life sciences corporations seeking or considering entry into the U.S. market, and is limited to 50 participants.

An association official said, "To compete in the global market, proactive response to U.S. patent risks is essential," adding, "We expect this training to help strengthen practitioners' IP response capabilities."

Registration is available on the association's education center website through June 5.

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