Keeping pace with the ever-changing life sciences industry, Morrison Foerster stays on top of the trends and political, legal, and economic drivers to support striking the balance between innovative discovery and purposeful business planning to assure our clients continued success. MoFo Life Sciences shares timely legal and business insights and in-depth analyses on trends and the complex technologies at the heart of the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, and AgTech fields.Learn more about our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/capabilities/life-sciences-healthcare" target="_self">Life Sciences practice</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants. She represents clients ranging from large international pharmaceutical companies to midsized companies, startups, and universities.Meghan has filed numerous Patent Term Extension applications to secure additional term for her clients’ patents, which cover FDA-approved products. In addition, Meghan has extensive experience addressing complex obviousness-double patenting and subject matter eligibility issues impacting her clients’ patent portfolios. Meghan also represents clients in both investor-side and target-side due diligence, in deals from seed funding to initial public offerings.Prior to law school, Meghan attended graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Ph.D. in biological chemistry based on her work on protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions at a molecular level. Meghan is the author of several scientific publications and has presented her research at international conferences.Meghan received her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School and spent a year as a visiting student at Santa Clara University, where she focused on intellectual property.

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Dr. Meghan Poon counsels clients on patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio strategy, and IP due diligence in the areas of biotechnology and biologics. She has significant experience in diverse technologies including antibodies, cell therapies, gene therapies, diagnostics, and gene-edited plants.

Meghan Poon

Wolfgang advises clients on contentious and non-contentious matters involving their most valuable intellectual property assets in life sciences, digital, and high-tech industries.His subjects of focus include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, and other technology transactions, as well as know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law. He also has substantial experience in litigating patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property assets, often in a multijurisdictional context. In addition, Wolfgang and his team frequently clear trademarks and ad campaigns and prosecute trademark applications.Wolfgang is co-editor of our <a href="https://lifesciences.mofo.com/" dir="ltr" target="_blank">MoFo Life Sciences Blog</a>.Wolfgang is a partner of Morrison Foerster based in our German office in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Representative Transactional Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>U.S.-based BioTech fund on various research collaborations and other transactions with German start-ups or research institutions.</li><li>Negotiate multimillion-euro strategic partnership between two AgTech leaders concerning the development and commercialization of pest-resistant transgenic traits.</li><li>Craft global multi-million collaboration regarding AI-powered robotic MaaS.</li><li>UK-based digital health company on product roll-out of RPM applications in Germany; coordinate international expansion.</li><li>Advise numerous German start-ups on their U.S. expansion.</li><li>Draft diverse global patent and know-how license agreements in the areas of AgTech and life sciences—including gene licensing and licensing of genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR)—and medical devices; draft correlating supply and distribution agreements.</li><li>Structure IP rights in connection with joint ventures and other M&A transactions, including the carve-out of a patent-heavy semiconductor business comprising nine jurisdictions into a German–U.S. joint venture.</li><li dir="ltr">Advise on government-funded, multi-partner R&D projects and/or R&D projects with academic institutions, as well as on employee invention law.</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Representative Contentious IP Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>Lead counsel in an international dispute between software companies on rights and obligations following termination of a multi-million licensing and distribution arrangement; coordinate local counsel.</li><li>Defend Japanese chip manufacturer in high-profile SEP-litigation; advise on global settlement arrangement.</li><li>Represent leading internet retailer in patent infringement and concurrent invalidity proceedings in the context of a multijurisdictional dispute concerning touch-screen technology.</li><li>Represent diverse pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in national and cross-border patent infringement proceedings and other technology-related disputes, including preliminary injunctions as well as pre‑trial discovery and inspection proceedings, concerning, inter alia, drug-coating technologies, toner cartridges, medicinal gases, transgenic plants, and vaccines.</li><li dir="ltr">Conduct trademark, copyright, and false advertising litigation, including, most notably, a high-profile trademark litigation for a German bank, and a nine-country cross-border trademark litigation involving a famous pharmaceutical brand.</li></ul>

Dr. Wolfgang Schönig berät Mandanten zum Schutz des geistigen Eigentums sowohl in streitigen als auch nichtstreitigen Angelegenheiten, mit einem besonderen Fokus auf die IP-rechtliche Beratung von Unternehmen aus den Bereichen Life Sciences, Digitalwirtschaft und High-Tech.Zu seinen Beratungsschwerpunkten gehören Forschungs- und Entwicklungskooperationen, komplexe Lizenzvertragsgestaltungen und andereTechnologie-Transaktionen, sowie Know-how-Schutz-Strategien und das Arbeitnehmererfinderrecht. Er verfügt zudem über umfangreiche Prozesserfahrung zur Durchsetzung von Patenten, Marken- und anderen IP-Rechten, häufig auch in einem grenzüberschreitenden Kontext. Darüber hinaus bewertet Dr. Wolfgang Schönig zusammen mit seinem Team regelmäßig die Rechtskonformität von Werbekampagnen, prüft die Verfügbarkeit von Marken und entwickelt entsprechende Anmeldestrategien.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Co-Editor des Life Sciences Blogs von Morrison Foerster.Er hat seinen Doktortitel an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf und seinen LL.M. an der Fordham School of Law in New York erworben, jeweils mit Schwerpunkt im gewerblichen Rechtsschutz. Seinen MBA-Abschluss erhielt er von der European University in Barcelona.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Partner des deutschen Büros von Morrison Foerster in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative Transaktionen</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">BioTech-Fonds mit Sitz in den USA bei verschiedenen Forschungskooperationen und anderen Transaktionen mit deutschen Start-ups oder Forschungseinrichtungen</li><li dir="ltr">Verhandlung einer hochvolumigen strategischen Partnerschaft zwischen zwei Technologieführern im Bereich Crop Science betreffend der Entwicklung und Kommerzialisierung von bestimmten Resistenzen</li><li dir="ltr">Gestaltung einer globalen Multi-Millionen-Zusammenarbeit für KI-gestützte Roboter</li><li dir="ltr">Ein in Großbritannien ansässiges Unternehmen für digitale Gesundheit bei der Markteinführung von RPM-Anwendungen in Deutschland; Koordination der internationalen Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zahlreicher deutscher Start-ups bei deren US-Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung und Verhandlung diverser Patent- und Know-How-Lizenzen in den Bereichen Ag Tech und Life Sciences – einschließlich Fragen zu genome editing wie CRISPR-Medizingeräte, sowie Gestaltung von Softwarelizenzverträgen und Erstellung korrespondierender Liefer- und Vertriebsvereinbarungen</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung von IP-Rechten im Zusammenhang mit Joint Ventures und anderen M&A-Transaktionen, darunter die Koordination eines neun Länder umfassenden IP Carve-Outs im Rahmen eines Halbleiter-JVs</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zu staatlich geförderten Multi-Partner F&E-Projekten und/oder F&E-Projekten mit akademischen Einrichtungen sowie zum Arbeitnehmererfindungsrecht</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative IP-Streitigkeiten</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">Lead Counsel in einem internationalen Rechtsstreit zwischen Softwareunternehmen über Rechte und Pflichten nach Beendigung einer millionenschweren Lizenz- und Vertriebsvereinbarung; Koordinierung der lokalen Anwälte</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung eines japanischen Chipherstellers in einem prominenten Streitfall bezüglich Standardessentieller Patente (SEP); Beratung zu einer globalen Vergleichsregelung</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung einer führenden Internetplattform gegen Ansprüche eines Patenttrolls wegen vermeintlicher Verletzung von Patent bezüglich Touchscreen-Technologie sowie korrespondierende US-Streitigkeiten</li><li dir="ltr">Vertretung von Pharma- und Life Science-Unternehmen in nationalen und grenzüberschreitenden Patentverletzungsverfahren und anderen technologiebezogenen Streitigkeiten, einschließlich einstweiliger Verfügungsverfahren und vorprozessualer Beweissicherungs- und Besichtigungsverfahren, unter anderem in Bezug auf Arzneimittelbeschichtungstechnologien, Tonerkartuschen, medizinische Gase, transgene Pflanzen und Impfstoffe</li></ul>

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Wolfgang Schönig is a partner of Morrison Foerster (International) LLP based in our German office in Berlin. His practice specialty is advising on IP aspects relative to transactions in, among others, the life sciences, AgTech and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes. Wolfgang is specialized in research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, technology acquisitions, know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law.

Wolfgang Schönig focuses his practice on IP aspects relative to transactions in the digital, telecoms, high tech, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes.

Wolfgang Schönig advises clients on IP aspects relating to transactions in, among others, the life sciences, AgTech and pharmaceuticals industry, as well as legal representation in IP disputes. His additional focus areas include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, technology acquisitions, know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law.

Wolfgang Schönig

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Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology are two novel innovations that offer the opportunity for us to move beyond our legacy systems and streamline enterprise management and compliance in ways previously unimaginable. Each technology augments the strengths and tempers the weaknesses of the other. Specifically, AI is an active technology − it analyzes what is around and formulates solutions based on the history of what it has been exposed to. By contrast, blockchain is data agnostic with respect to what is written into it – the technology bundle is largely passive. While these new technology stacks can certainly function on their own merits, AI and blockchain also complement one another in such ways that their combination offers novel business solutions, not only the ability to build upon legacy enterprise systems but also the power to eventually upend them in favor of next level solutions. Getting to that inflexion point, however, takes time and is not without cost. As innovators seek to exploit the convergence of AI and blockchain innovations, they must pay careful attention to overcome both technical and regulatory hurdles that accompany them. Do so successfully, and the rewards promise to be bountiful. Read our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/200312-new-abcs-ai-blockchain.html?utm_source=publications&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">client alert.</a>

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Vivian is chair of Morrison Foerster’s Sourcing practice. Vivian has concentrated her practice on domestic and multijurisdictional transactions involving technology and intellectual property (IP) fo

Vivian L. Hanson

Vivian is chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Sourcing practice. Vivian has concentrated her practice on domestic and multijurisdictional transactions involving technology and intellectual property (IP) for clients in the media and entertainment, information services, information technologies (IT), financial services, and life sciences industries.

Vivian Hanson

Anzu Special Acquisition Corp I's Merger with Envoy Medical Corporation

TEAM Services Group's Multiple Acquisitions

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Special New Fruit Licensing's Combination with International Fruit Genetics

MGG Investment Group LP's Sale of Figo Pet Insurance to JAB Holdings Company

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MGG Investment Group LP's Investment into Figo Pet Insurance

Happiness Capital Limited's Investment into TruTag Technologies

Anzu Special Acquisition Corp I's Forward Purchase Agreements

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Lee Nisson is an associate in the firm’s Transactions Department.

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The New ABC's: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and How Each Compliments the Other

Patenting Artificial Intelligence in the U.S. – Considerations for AI Companies

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Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology are two novel innovations that offer the opportunity for us to move beyond our legacy systems and streaml

The New ABC's: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and How Each Compliments the Other

As industry continues to grapple with and implement the <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-113publ54/pdf/PLAW-113publ54.pdf" target="_blank">Drug Supply Chain Security Act</a> (DSCSA) enacted by Congress in 2013, some of the largest pharmaceutical companies believe they may have a solution to track prescription drugs across the supply chain to prevent the distribution of counterfeit medicines – blockchain.The DSCSA outlines steps to build an electronic, interoperable system to identify and trace, to the packaging level, prescription drugs distributed in the United States as they move throughout the supply chain, and this system must be in place by 2023. The Act includes several different requirements with varying mandatory implementation dates that extend through 2023. Under the Act, FDA is required to establish pilot projects to explore and evaluate methods to enhance the safety and security of the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain.On February 8, 2019, FDA announced the creation of the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/02/08/2019-01561/pilot-project-program-under-the-drug-supply-chain-security-act-program-announcement" target="_blank">DSCSA Pilot Project Program</a> to explore issues related to “utilizing the product identifier for product tracing, improving the technical capabilities of the supply chain, identifying the system attributes that are necessary to implement the requirements established under the DSCSA, and any other issues identified by FDA” (84 Fed. Reg. § 2879). Participants in the program were selected by FDA to reflect the diversity of the supply chain. One of the participants in the program is led by blockchain startup MediLedger, and includes a network of 24 companies in the industry, including several major pharmaceutical companies along with other manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and delivery entities. The MediLedger network tested blockchain in the verification of drug returns and recently published its Final Pilot Report in February 2020 detailing the benefits of using blockchain to implement the DSCSA. The MediLedger network believes that blockchain provides a feasible solution to the DSCSA’s track-and-trace requirements and can be used to validate the authenticity of drug identifiers throughout the supply chain in a central point of data sharing while protecting proprietary data.It is still unclear what FDA’s opinion will be on the use of blockchain to implement the DSCSA, and FDA will not release its final program report until all of the projects included in the pilot program are completed. FDA notes that selection of a project into the DSCSA Pilot Project Program is not an endorsement of a particular technology, but other key markers may give us a clue as to FDA’s current thinking. For example, FDA has been supportive of the use of blockchain technology as part of its <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/conversations-experts-food-topics/deputy-commissioner-champions-more-digital-transparent-food-safety-system" target="_blank">New Era of Smarter Food Safety</a> initiative due to blockchain’s ability to work within decentralized and distributed food systems for full end-to-end traceability. However, based on MediLedger’s report, we know that there are several issues that FDA would need to work through before implementing a blockchain system throughout the industry.  For starters, a new set of standards governing the use of blockchain would need to be developed, including standards for data management among multiple blockchains and non-blockchain networks, recall and alert notification, ensuring authorized trading partner identification, the correction of system records, exception handling, and standards for testing and performance. A governance system would also be necessary, and while the MediLedger network believes that governance should come from the industry itself, FDA may disagree. Additionally, for the system to work, nearly all industry members (manufacturers, wholesalers, dispensers, service providers, etc.) would need to participate in one or more interoperable systems, as the lack of full participation can lead to breaks in the chain of custody, and with higher numbers of interconnected systems, the risk of misaligned and incorrect data increases. Other concerns include the discomfort with blockchain technology, costs for small industry players, international reach, and system security, including permitting only authorized trading partners to access the network. MediLedger’s report also notes that implementation of blockchain is a complex solution and will require a stabilization period, urging a distinction between the implementation date and FDA’s enforcement date of the DSCSA.

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Blockchain and The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)

Blockchain and The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)

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As industry continues to grapple with and implement the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) enacted by Congress in 2013, some of the largest pharmaceutical c

Patients accumulate vast quantities of healthcare data over the course of their lives. Those data are generally housed in centralized servers operated by various unrelated industry participants, including government regulators and payors, insurance carriers, hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies.Unfortunately, those repositories rely on disparate data practices. In addition, they are alluring targets for bad actors.The industry has made a concerted effort to get ahead of the problem, healthcare data stolen from intermediary servers remains fairly commonplace. The consequence is that many healthcare organizations are in the crosshairs of patients, regulators and consumer protection advocates alike, and the costs of failure are mounting.Fortuitously, as for many other issues facing the healthcare industry, blockchain technology offers a potential solution.