FB Rice

13–14 October 2026 | Frankfurt, Germany. Declan McKeveney, Jarrod Voss and Brittany Ashton (née Howard) from our life sciences team are heading to the Life Science Legal Strategy (LSLS) summit. The LSLS programme will explore the issues shaping legal strategy across the sector, from IP and regulatory developments to antibody patenting, AI-assisted inventions and emerging exclusivity strategies. They look forward to reconnecting with international colleagues, exchanging perspectives and making new connections. Will you be attending? Get in touch to arrange a time to meet. #LSLS2026 #LifeSciences #IntellectualProperty #Patents #FBRice

Your product keeps evolving after the API is identified. Is your patent strategy keeping up? 💊 Salt forms, stereoisomers and polymorphs can improve solubility, stability, bioavailability and manufacturability, while opening valuable opportunities for additional patent protection. Trainee Patent Attorney Rafael Chen and Partner Brittany Ashton explain how Australian patent law approaches these variants and what matters most when building a layered portfolio: 🔹 Demonstrating unexpected technical advantages 🔹 Careful characterisation 🔹 Thoughtful claim drafting 🔹 Reviewing strategy alongside scientific and commercial development Explore FB Rice’s insights on protecting pharmaceutical variants in Australia.

The real value of a pharma patent portfolio? How long it keeps competitors out. 💊 Big pharma due diligence no longer stops at composition-of-matter patents. Buyers and partners now want strong follow-on protection covering: 🔹 Formulations and manufacturing processes 🔹 Dosing regimens and patient sub-populations 🔹 New medical uses Partner Brittany Ashton explains how layered patent strategies defend against generic and biosimilar competition, and why IP planning needs to start at the earliest stages of development. Talk to FB Rice about building patent layers that add real commercial value.

Is your patent term extension built on formulation, dosage-form or drug-delivery claims? In Otsuka FC, the Full Federal Court held that a pharmaceutical formulation is not a “pharmaceutical substance per se” under Australia’s PTE regime. With the High Court’s judgment now reserved, Trainee Patent Attorney Sabrina Caiazzo and Partner Andrew Gregory analysed every in-force Australian patent with a granted PTE. 🔹 556 Low Risk: claims directed primarily to the API 🔹 130 High Risk: formulations, dosage forms and delivery systems 🔹 145 Uncertain: polymorphs, salts and co-crystals Discover what the decision could mean for patent drafting and portfolio strategy across pharma and life sciences.

Developing RNA therapeutics? Australia plays by its own patent rules. 🧬 Antisense oligonucleotides, siRNAs and other nucleic acid therapies can be well protected in Australia, but success depends on getting the jurisdiction-specific details right. In the final instalment of our Beyond the Sequence series, Biotechnology Partner Patrick McManamny covers: 🔹 Patentable subject matter after D’Arcy v Myriad 🔹 Lessons from key Australian Patent Office decisions 🔹 Disclosure and enablement requirements 🔹 Practical drafting strategies for stronger patents Explore FB Rice’s insights on building stronger Australian patents for nucleic acid therapeutics.

Meet Australia and New Zealand’s most trusted IP firm. We empower innovation, create value and protect what matters most to ensure the world’s greatest ideas are safeguarded and strengthened.