Legislation and Life Sciences: Understanding Current Priorities and the Potential Impact on Patents

The 119th Congress is advancing legislative efforts that could reshape the life sciences sector. Sterne Kessler’s Jeremiah Frueauf and The Farrington Group’s Peter Harter hosted a webinar that discussed key policy priorities and the potential impact they may have on patent strategies for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Our speakers shared insights on the evolving intersection of intellectual property and public policy, and what this could mean for innovation in the future.

Discussion topics included:

• Fee-setting authorization of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the effect it may have on patent costs;
• AI, patent eligibility, and the USPTO’s view on human contributions for inventorship; and
• Potential limits for patent assertion in the Hatch-Waxman litigation context and evolving challenges to product patent portfolio development strategies.