You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

May 4, 2018

Asia IP: Interview on Pharmaceutical Patent Protection and Challenges

Subscribe to Updates
Asia IP

Alan Adcock, partner and deputy director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property and regulatory affairs group, Dr. Jakkrit Kuanpoth, of counsel in the firm’s intellectual property group, and Dr. Atthachai Homhuan, manager in the firm’s regulatory affairs group, were recently interviewed by Asia IP  for an article entitled, “Best Feature: The Shape of Pharma,” which covers pharmaceutical patent protection and challenges in the Asian region.

In the article, Alan highlighted that it is important for innovators to prepare risk management plans (RMP) for effective patent protection. He said, “The RMP provides a guideline for when and how a company should conduct prosecution of their invention patent applications, review their applications and patent portfolio, and identify the different weaknesses and strengths of their invention patents.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Jakkrit urged patent holders to regularly monitor for infringing activities to protect their patent rights. “During the life of a patent, the drug patent holder should closely monitor for infringing activities, including vigilant monitoring the Thai Food and Drug Administration’s website for generic pharmaceutical product applications,” he explained.

Dr. Atthachai highlighted the benefits of building a patent portfolio so that pharmaceutical companies can understand and manage their valuable patents. He said, “The integration of a patent portfolio into its business strategy will provide a company with a number of commercial advantages, and provide different channels for fulfilment of business objectives, whether, in M&A, diversification of business units, or licensing of IP technology.”

Alan concluded by sharing that pharmaceutical market growth is shifting toward emerging markets in Asia, including Thailand, where legislative reforms by the Thai government have helped clear the backlog of pharmaceutical patents and improved drug registration processes, making the country increasingly attractive for the pharmaceutical industry.

Asia IP  provides brand owners and law firms with in-depth features, news, and analysis on key developments in Asia’s IP markets. If you would like to read the full article, please visit the Asia IP  website (subscription required).

RELATED PROFESSIONALS

Industries

Life Sciences

Practices

Intellectual Property

Regulatory Affairs

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

November 18, 2021
On November 17, Tilleke & Gibbins conducted another joint TMT webinar with Clyde & Co. The event provided a multijurisdictional view in a session titled “Data Privacy and Protection in COVID-19 Times.” Lawyers from Tilleke & Gibbins covered the legal and regulatory environments in Thailand and Vietnam, while lawyers from Clyde & Co spoke on Australia, China, and Singapore. Atthachai Homhuan, director of the regulatory affairs department at Tilleke & Gibbins, explained emergency use authorization of drugs and vaccines in Thailand, as well as data privacy and protection issues related to employers, employees, and vaccinations. Waewpen Piemwichai, a senior associate in Tilleke & Gibbins corporate and commercial group in Hanoi, followed the Thailand session with a look at the evolving pandemic situation in Vietnam and noted how the processing of COVID-19-related data will change when the draft Decree on Personal Data Protection takes effect.
Read More
November 15, 2021
Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins and director of the firm’s dispute resolution department, spoke in two International Bar Association (IBA) webinars on law firm management and strategic direction. Tiziana appeared in her capacity as a member of the IBA Law Firm Management Committee, first in an IBA Global Showcase session on October 28, 2021, and then again at an IBA Officers’ Briefing on November 9. The first event brought together two panels of law firm managing partners from around the world to discuss the matters of greatest concern to the legal industry in a session titled “What is the Future of our Law Firms?” Together, the panelists discussed issued such as the return to physical offices, how best to serve clients, how to encourage and support collaboration among lawyers, and what pricing strategies will look like in the future. This session formed part of the week-long IBA Global Showcase—a global conference sharing knowledge and celebrating successes in law firm policy and practice. In the second session, open only to officers of the IBA, Tiziana was one of three guests interviewed about law firm transitions and strategy. Alongside managing partners from leading firms in India and the USA, Tiziana discussed how established family-run firms can evolve into regional powerhouses, taking examples from her own experience with Tilleke & Gibbins’ regionalization and growth over the past two decades. For more details on the IBA and the 2021 Global Showcase, please visit the IBA website.
Read More
October 14, 2021
On October 13, Alan Adcock, partner and deputy director of the firm’s intellectual property and regulatory affairs groups in Bangkok, and Thomas J. Treutler, managing director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ offices in Vietnam, represented the firm in the virtual IP Life Sciences Conference 2021. Life sciences specialists from around the world attended the conference, which was organized to provide patent owners in the life sciences industry with pertinent information and updates relating to patent disputes and litigation in key jurisdictions. During their presentations on local Thai and Vietnamese legal regulations, Alan and Thomas offered insights on policies and risks relating to injunctions in patent disputes, the most successful patent litigation strategies in each respective country, and the cost of litigation versus the practical business benefits of patent protection.
Read More
September 17, 2021
Andrew Stoutley, chief operating officer of Tilleke & Gibbins, provided a lengthy quote to Asian Legal Business (ALB) for a recent feature on how law firms in Southeast Asia are increasingly using data analytics and information to drive their business strategy. The article featured contributions from a number of partners and executives from firms across Southeast Asia on the different ways that their firms are applying data to their operations and incorporating information and analytics into their strategic decision-making processes. In his contribution, Andrew explained that as technology has become central to virtually all operations at Tilleke & Gibbins, metrics and data have been harnessed to inform decisions at all levels. To illustrate this, he gave the example of a broad strategic planning process that the firm has undertaken to lay out strategy for the coming years. Identifying and gathering key quantitative and qualitative data points was crucial to the process, which considers every element of the firm’s planned operations for the next several years. Andrew went on to discuss the importance of determining how best to share the data with the relevant stakeholders, such as through visualizations or dashboards that allow staff to monitor the progress of operations. The other informants for the article reported a similar uptick in reliance on data—such as in competitive intelligence, billing, and matter management—and emphasized the necessity for firms to recognize the value of data as a resource that must be protected and used wisely. The full article is available on page 4 of the September 2021 issue of ALB.
Read More