Commercialising biomarkers requires the determination of both their relevance and validity. Relevance refers to a biomarker’s ability to appropriately provide clinically relevant information on questions of interest to the public, healthcare providers, or health policy officials. Validity refers to the need to characterize a biomarker’s effectiveness or utility as a surrogate endpoint. The recent US Supreme Court Judgement in the case of Mayo vs. Prometheus has also added an additional layer of complexity when it comes to seeking patent protection for biomarkers.
In this fourth installment of the RCSI Innovation seminar series, we will hear insights into the commercialisation and intellectual property management of biomarker research from two experts in the field: Miro Venturi, Global Head of Diagnostics at Roche and Jonathan Myers, Patent Attorney and Partner at Barker Brettell.
Speakers: Miro Venturi, Global Head of Diagnostics at Roche and Jonathan Myers, Patent Attorney and Partner at Barker Brettell
Venue: Bouchier Hayes, 26 York Street
Date & Time: Tuesday, 4th December- 12.30-14:00
Please RSVP here for catering purposes.
Places are limited
Speakers:
Miro Venturi Ph.D.
Global Head Diagnostics Biomarkers
Hoffmann-la Roche, Basel
After receiving his PhD from the Max-Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, Miro specialized in molecular medicine, virology and immunology at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA. In 2002, Miro joined the pharmaceutical industry as a Biomarker Laboratory Head and project team representative at Pharmacia Corp (later Pfizer Inc.) at the Oncology R&D site located in Nerviano, Italy. In 2005, Miro was invited to join the faculty of the University of ‘Vita Salute San Raffaele in Milan as Adjunct Professor of preclinical and early clinical development of biopharmaceuticals. In 2007 Miro moved to Novartis as Divisional Head in Biomarker Development, supervising a team of scientists developing assays and supporting project teams in the realization of personalized medicine strategies across the portfolio, with a focus on biologics and oncology programs. His team has contributed to the development of nilotinib (Tasigna) and early programs in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Since 2009, Miro joined Roche Oncology where he has contributed the biomarker and personalized medicine strategies and directed the execution for global drug development programs with companion diagnostics, including the development and approval of Perjeta in breast cancer. In 2011, he was appointed Site Head for Oncology Biomarkers within the DTA Oncology Dept, under the leadership of William Pao, and based in Penzberg, Germany. Miro has then been appointed Global Head of Diagnostics Biomarkers at Hoffmann-la Roche and is based at the Company´s headquarters in Basel. Miro has contributed to several drug research and scientific development projects and published in a number of relevant scientific journals, including Nature, Cell, PNAS and others.
Jonathan Myers
Partner at Barker Brettell
Birmingham, UK
Jonathan Myers is a patent attorney and partner at Barker Brettell, specialising in patent legislation. Jonathan has a vast array of experience across all areas of patents including drafting and prosecuting; providing opinions on patent infringement, validity and freedom to operate. He is an expert in handling multi-jurisdictional patent portfolios for biomarkers, advising on filing strategies and Supplementary Patent Certificates. Jonathan qualified as a patent attorney in 2010 and before joining Barker Brettell he gained commercial experience as in-house counsel at MedImmune Ltd., the biologics arm of AstraZeneca, with particular experience in prosecuting applications for biological therapies. Founded in 1891, Barker Brettell is one of the largest IP firms in the UK. It provides global patent, trademark copyright and design advice and protection to clients ranging from entrepreneurs with a great idea, to multi-national corporations.