Checking in for the New Year
So here we are in 2021. This is not the typical new year. The past year has not been an easy one. It has taken a toll on all of us, and likely will continue to do so for some time to come. Even [...]
Did you miss this talk? Really?
I love the biotech-life sciences-healthcare scene in San Francisco. So much happening! So many companies, constant news on new drugs, new tools, new results, new approaches. There is a continual flow of seminars, panel discussions, fireside chats and other formats for gathering information. But that’s [...]
Dancing in the dark
Eighteen months of darkness When an applicant files an application for a patent, the first publication generally is 18 months from that first filing date. The first date may be the filing date of the provisional application in the US or the priority [...]
Things are not always what they seem
Patent claims are where it’s at if you are looking at freedom to operate. Keep in mind, however, that it’s really issued claims that are the worry. I get a fair bit of concerns sent my way about patent applications. It comes in two flavors. [...]
Got government grants? The ticking clock to file patents just got faster!
The regulations governing obligations related to patent filings changed in 2018. But now, almost a year later, I find that very few grant recipients are aware of the recently added obligations or even more generally, of the ones that remain the same. In a [...]
Different Paths
So many biotech start-ups, and so many different ways to navigate from point A to point B. I attended two talks recently which provided a contrast in styles for designing and getting a startup off the ground. Both paths were successful, but success came [...]
Game on – Here we are in 2019!
The ball drops and if we are still awake and not watching the actual event in Times Square, but a replay 3 hours later here in San Francisco, it is now 2019. Another year for new challenges, new goals and new plans. I like the [...]
Potholes and Landmines
It is not unusual for me to hear a startup inquire about a freedom-to-operate (FTO) search. Often, the requesting company is in its nascent stages. I don’t discourage the idea of keeping a good view of the competition and path to market. However, it is [...]
Connecting the Dots for Written Description
Your first patent application – you try to think of all of the possible variations, all the possible diseases that could be diagnosed or treated, all the potential doses, all the potential chemical or protein variants. But will these lists provide sufficient support for the [...]
Demo Day Dilemmas
I am looking forward to Indie Bio’s demo day this week. I work with a number of the companies there. The excitement and the tension has mounted as the big day approaches. This is the day each company will have a short public presentation [...]