This event has passed.
IPWatchdog: Life Sciences Masters™ 2025
Gabe McCool, Rob Sahr, Charlie Steenburg, and Dan Young will speak on a panels at IPWatchdog’s Life Sciences Masters™ 2025. This program will focus on the intersection of intellectual property law and the biopharmaceutical industry, and will explore the law, politics, and business of life sciences. Wolf Greenfield is proud to sponsor this event.
Event Panels
IPWatchdog Life Sciences Masters™ 2025: The State of the Biopharma Industry: Significant Opportunity, Considerable Challenges
October 27, 2025
Rob Sahr will speak on a panel titled “The State of the Biopharma Industry: Significant Opportunity, Considerable Challenges.” This panel will lead off the Life Sciences Masters™ 2025 program. Panelists will broadly discuss the state of the biopharmaceutical industry, what challenges the industry is facing, what opportunities exist, and what the panel expects for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026.IPWatchdog Life Sciences Masters™ 2025: The Price of Medicine: Why Americans Pay More for Prescription Drugs
October 27, 2025
Gabe McCool will speak on a panel titled “The Price of Medicine: Why Americans Pay More for Prescription Drugs.” The cost of prescription pharmaceuticals is higher in the United States than anywhere else in the world, and many in the United States—including President Trump—are unhappy with this imbalance. But why do Americans pay more for prescription drugs? There are a variety of reasons why drugs cost more in the United States than in other countries, including the existence of middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) which only exist in the United States. These PBMs do nothing to discover or innovate drugs, and they do not sell drugs to consumers, but they siphon off a staggering 50% of the overall cost of pharmaceutical drugs. Another major differentiator is the fact that research and development is paid for almost exclusively by Americans because other rich western countries implement strict price controls that do not allow innovator pharmaceutical companies any room to recoup their significant R&D expense.
This panel will discuss how supply chain middlemen, regulatory frameworks, and global pricing disparities shape what Americans ultimately pay at the pharmacy counter. The conversation will evaluate current policy proposals—including the most favored nation (MFN) Executive Order—and consider how to strike the right balance between affordability, innovation, and patient access.
IPWatchdog Life Sciences Masters™ 2025: Global Considerations in Biopharma Patent Prosecution and Portfolio Development
October 28, 2025
Dan Young will speak on a panel titled “Global Considerations in Biopharma Patent Prosecution and Portfolio Development.” Biopharmaceutical companies invest significantly in research and development (R&D) on a global scale, which leads to collaboration, partnerships and commercial opportunities that cross geographic boundaries. This international cooperation can often expedite drug discovery and development by combining resources, expertise, and capabilities, but it also comes with complexities, including those related to securing and defending patent rights across jurisdictions presents unique challenges. This panel will examine strategies for navigating the diverse—and sometimes conflicting—patent laws, examination practices, and regulatory frameworks that govern biopharma inventions worldwide. From managing subject matter eligibility and patent term extensions to addressing data exclusivity and disclosure requirements, panelists will discuss how to align prosecution strategies with commercial objectives in key markets, including the U.S., Europe, China, and emerging economies. The conversation will highlight practical tips for avoiding costly pitfalls, coordinating international filings, anticipating enforcement challenges in a rapidly evolving legal and competitive landscape, and best practices for building and maintaining a strong worldwide patent portfolio.IPWatchdog Life Sciences Masters™ 2025: Developments and Trends for Biopharma Patents at the USPTO
October 28, 2025
Rob Sahr will speak on a panel titled “Developments and Trends for Biopharma Patents at the USPTO.” The biotechnology sector faces unique challenges in navigating the evolving patent landscape at the US Patent and Trademark Office. This panel will explore recent developments in biotech patent examination, including subject matter eligibility, obviousness considerations, double patenting (particularly obviousness-type double patenting), and the different treatment patent term adjustment (PTA) and patent term extension (PTE).Panelists will analyze recent case law, USPTO examination trends, key USPTO guidance, rule changes, and practical approaches for preserving patent life while minimizing vulnerability to validity challenges. Attendees will gain practical insights into overcoming common hurdles, strengthening applications, coordinating prosecution and litigation strategies, and aligning IP protection with regulatory exclusivity to safeguard commercial value and opportunities in the highly competitive and fast-moving biopharma market.