Burns & Levinson of counsel Shawn Foley was a featured speaker at the CAR TCR Summit Asia in Shanghai, China. The conference, which took place June 18-20, brought together experts from around the world – CEOs, business development heads, research directors, and vendors – to share new and groundbreaking developments in the field of CAR TCR therapies. Along with the U.S., China has emerged as a hub of both innovation and clinical development in this field and now boasts more ongoing clinical trials in CAR TCR than any other country.
Foley’s presentation focused on the evolution of the CAR T patent landscape, including patents authored by pioneers in the field and other patents that cover an FDA-approved CAR T product; pending district court litigation involving a seminal CAR T patent; future patenting opportunities; strategies for patenting CAR T inventions; and issues relating to patentability versus commercialization of CAR T products. He will speak on a similar topic at the CAR TCR Summit in Boston, MA that will be held September 10-13, 2019 at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center.
With deep experience in immunotherapy – including small molecules, chimeric proteins (e.g., PROTACs), monoclonal antibodies (including antibody-drug conjugates), macrophages, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells – Foley brings multiple perspectives and technical versatility to the CAR T/TCR field. He has designed and implemented global patent strategies, including drafting and prosecuting CAR T patent applications. He has also designed and conducted due diligence studies on behalf of clients who have considered purchasing third-party IP rights to CAR T constructs and uses thereof to treat different types of cancers.
Foley’s patent practice has spanned patent prosecution, licensing, opinions, post-issuance proceedings in the U.S. and Europe, and litigation. He has represented a wide spectrum of clients during his career, including major branded pharmaceutical and generic drug companies, startups, universities, and entrepreneurs, both in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to entering the bar, Foley was an examiner with the U.S. Patent Office, where he reviewed patent applications across a wide spectrum of technologies, especially life sciences. He also served as an in-house counsel for an agricultural biotechnology company.