PHARMACEUTICAL IP

Evolve Guides

Practical guides from our attorneys on the IP questions pharma and biotech teams ask us most, from reading a biotech patent to building an IP strategy for cell therapy or AI drug discovery.

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Practical guides written by our attorneys, grouped by what you need them for. Narrow them down by technology or topic.

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General guidance

Short primers for anyone new to pharma and biotech patents, or briefing colleagues who are.

All technologiesHow to read a biotech patentA practical walk-through of the parts of a biotech patent and what each one tells you.Read the guidePharmaceuticalsWhy patents matter: Understanding the importance of IP in the pharma industryWhy IP underpins value in the pharma industry.Read the guideAll technologiesFreedom to operate versus patentability in biotech: What the difference is and why it mattersTwo questions that are often confused, and why the difference matters.Read the guideCell & gene therapySecuring market protection for cell therapies: Patents versus regulatory exclusivityHow patents and regulatory exclusivity work together to protect a cell therapy.Read the guide

Cell and gene therapy

In-depth guides to the IP issues of cell and gene therapies, from CAR-T to lipid nanoparticles.

Cell & gene therapyIP strategy for Cell Therapy: FAQsAnswers to the questions we are asked most about cell therapy IP.Read the guideCell & gene therapyNavigating the complex LNP IP landscapeThe lipid nanoparticle patent landscape and how to find a path through it.Read the guideCell & gene therapyBridging the innovation and commercialisation gap: IP strategy for advanced therapiesBuilding an IP position that supports commercialisation of advanced therapies.Read the guideCell & gene therapyIP strategy for the universal cell therapy revolutionIP strategy for allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies.Read the guideCell & gene therapyOvercoming the freedom to operate and patentability challenges for cell therapiesThe main FTO and patentability hurdles for cell therapies and how to approach them.Read the guideCell & gene therapyBeyond the process: Securing robust IP protection for cell therapiesProtecting cell therapies beyond manufacturing process claims.Read the guideCell & gene therapyDefining the undefinable: The challenges and opportunities for cell therapy IPHow to define a cell product in a claim, and why it is hard.Read the guideCell & gene therapyCAR-Macrophage (CAR-M) cell therapy: Advantages, challenges, and emerging innovationsAn overview of CAR-M therapy and the innovation behind it.Read the guideCell & gene therapyA new way to define T cells and what it means for cell therapy IPNew ways of characterising T cells and their impact on claim drafting.Read the guide

AI drug discovery

Guides to protecting inventions made with AI and computational drug discovery.

AI drug discoveryIP strategy for AI-assisted drug discoveryHow to protect inventions made with AI drug discovery platforms.Read the guideAI drug discoveryAlphaFold: From Nobel Prize to drug-discovery gold mine?What protein structure prediction means for drug discovery and its IP.Read the guide

Annual case law reviews

Our yearly round-ups of EPO case law trends for pharma and biotech.

Pharmaceuticals · BiologicsEPO pharma case law trends 2025: Clinical inventionsThe key EPO trends of 2025 for clinical and medical use inventions.Read the guideBiologicsEPO pharma case law trends 2025: Antibodies and biologicsThe key EPO trends of 2025 for antibodies and other biologics.Read the guide

Using AI safely in IP practice

Practical guidance for in-house teams adopting AI tools.

All technologiesUse of AI in the patent industry: Solving the confidentiality problemHow to use AI tools without putting confidential information at risk.Read the guideAll technologiesUse of AI in the patent industry: The spectre of hallucinationWhy AI tools make things up, and how to catch it.Read the guideAll technologiesAI in the patent industry: The risks of AI shadow useThe risks when staff use unapproved AI tools, and what to do about them.Read the guideAll technologiesAI in the patent industry: Beware the MCP Trojan horseThe security risks of connecting AI tools to other systems.Read the guideAll technologiesAI in the patent industry: The sneaky practice of prompt injection (and what to do about it)Hidden instructions in documents, and how to protect against them.Read the guide

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