One of the most interesting and promising areas of medical research today involves the use of T-Cell therapies, which offer hope and promise as a new approach to cancer treatment. It has also made for a robust climate for intellectual property disputes.
Earlier this year, Juno Therapeutics won a $1 billion judgment against Gilead’s Kite Pharma in connection with alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,446,190, entitled “Nucleic Acid Encoding Chimeric T Cell Receptors.”
The patent relates to CAR T-cell therapy a form of immunotherapy that uses specially altered T cells — a part of the immune system — to fight cancer. The invention was developed by inventors at Sloan Kettering and licensed to Juno by a Sloan Kettering entity.
In this episode of the Harris Beach Podcast, partner Laura Smalley discusses the implications of the Juno v. Kite pharma case, including the use of the “reasonable royalty” concept to support a large damages award. Laura is an authority on intellectual property law in the areas of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and life sciences. She is a regular contributor to the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Biotech Buzz newsletter as well as a presenter on regulatory and IP issues for immunotherapies, including Car-T and antibody technologies.
