United Kingdom: Patent

As artificial intelligence transforms ingredient discovery across pharmaceuticals, food, and biotechnology, companies face a critical challenge: when multiple organizations contribute data, AI models, and expertise to create new molecules and insights, who controls the resulting intellectual property? The answer requires rethinking traditional IP frameworks to account for datasets, model improvements, and experimental knowledge that may prove more valuable than the initial products themselves.

A patent attorney reflects on returning to the University of Cambridge's Physics at Work Exhibition to share insights about career paths stemming from physics degrees. The event provided an opportunity to engage with 14-16-year-old students, demonstrating how physics knowledge translates into intellectual property law and patent protection work.

An intellectual property lawyer helps businesses protect, register, commercialise and enforce their ideas, brands, products and creative assets. Good advice works in two directions: it helps a business stay on the right side of existing rights and avoid attracting claims, while also shaping its own portfolio so it becomes defensible, valuable and enforceable.

Nomio, a broccoli-based sports supplement gaining popularity among endurance athletes, has secured patent protection for its innovative use of sulforaphane to enhance exercise performance and treat metabolic conditions. This analysis explores how the company leveraged university research to protect both therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications of their simple three-ingredient formula, demonstrating that even products with common ingredients can achieve robust patent protection through novel use claims.

The UK Patents Court has upheld Novartis' patent and SPC protecting Entresto, its blockbuster heart failure treatment combining valsartan and sacubitril, rejecting all validity challenges from generic manufacturer Accord Healthcare. The judgment provides crucial guidance on plausibility requirements where experimental data have been generated but not fully disclosed in the patent specification, clarifying when qualitative disclosure of positive results suffices without detailed numerical data.

Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to drug repurposing to accelerate development timelines and reduce risk, identifying new therapeutic applications for known compounds. This strategy offers significant clinical and commercial advantages, from faster patient access to extended product lifecycles, but raises complex questions about intellectual property protection and regulatory exclusivity. The article examines how second medical use patents and strategic IP planning enable innovators to secu

Investors often discover during due diligence that startups do not fully own, control, or protect their most valuable assets. From missing assignment agreements to undisclosed open-source obligations, these common intellectual property pitfalls can delay transactions, reduce valuations, or derail funding rounds entirely. Understanding these five critical IP issues before a funding round begins can help both investors and founders reduce risk and preserve value.

The English Court of Appeal has endorsed arbitration as an acceptable means of dispute resolution for resolving global (F)RAND disputes when proposed by standard-essential patent owners. This controversial decision effectively compels SEP licensees to arbitrate against their will, based on the principle that where multiple RAND approaches exist, the SEP owner's choice is determinative, creating an inherent asymmetry in the licensing framework.

Understanding competitor patents can be just as important as protecting your own inventions for deep-tech companies. This article explores how patent watching provides strategic intelligence during product development, helping businesses identify risks and opportunities before committing to expensive freedom-to-operate studies.