Skip to content

Menu

LexBlog, Inc. logo
NetworkSub-MenuBrowse by SubjectBrowse by PublisherBrowse by ChannelAbout the NetworkJoin the NetworkProductsSub-MenuProducts OverviewBlog ProBlog PlusBlog PremierMicrositeSyndication PortalsAbout UsContactSubscribeSupport
Book a Demo
Search
Close

EU Talking Life Sciences Audiocast: Supplementary Protection Certificates – What It Means for a Product to Be Protected by a Basic Patent in Force and Future Proposals in the EU

By Roderick Dirkzwager & Inga-Marlene Pietsch on November 3, 2023
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn

Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) are a form of patent term extension right that are available in the EU for medicinal products.

Tune into this episode of Covington’s Life Sciences Audiocast where Inga Pietsch and Roderick Dirkzwager discuss some of the developments in SPC case law from the European Court of Justice in relation to the SPC grant requirement that a product must be protected by a basic patent in force and take a closer look at the Commission’s proposal to update the EU SPC regime to introduce a new unitary SPC.

Photo of Roderick Dirkzwager Roderick Dirkzwager

Roderick Dirkzwager advises clients in the life sciences sector on a broad range of regulatory, transactional and intellectual property matters relating to the discovery, development and commercialization of their products.

Roderick is a member of Covington’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a…

Roderick Dirkzwager advises clients in the life sciences sector on a broad range of regulatory, transactional and intellectual property matters relating to the discovery, development and commercialization of their products.

Roderick is a member of Covington’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a co-lead of the LGBT+ Affinity Group in London.

With a broad life sciences practice, Roderick regularly advises on:

  • EU, Irish, and UK regulatory issues relating to pharmaceutical products and medical devices;
  • commercial agreements that span the product life-cycle in the life sciences sector, including collaborations and other strategic agreements, clinical trial agreements, distribution arrangements and manufacturing and supply contracts;
  • regulatory and commercial due diligence for life sciences transactions; and
  • intellectual property issues arising in corporate transactions and IP-related contracts.

Roderick is also a member of Covington’s Life Sciences in Africa team and advises clients on regulatory and commercial strategies for the supply of medical products across Africa, including through international recognition procedures such as WHO pre-qualification. Prior to joining the firm, Roderick completed his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, focusing on the development of novel, low-cost malaria diagnostic technologies using DNA aptamers.

Read more about Roderick DirkzwagerEmail
Show more Show less
Photo of Inga-Marlene Pietsch Inga-Marlene Pietsch

Inga-Marlene Pietsch is an intellectual property lawyer in Covington’s Life Sciences Transactions team assisting clients in protecting and enforcing their most valuable assets.  She works closely with other teams across the firm in particular the Corporate and Regulatory teams.

Inga has an extensive…

Inga-Marlene Pietsch is an intellectual property lawyer in Covington’s Life Sciences Transactions team assisting clients in protecting and enforcing their most valuable assets.  She works closely with other teams across the firm in particular the Corporate and Regulatory teams.

Inga has an extensive contentious and non-contentious IP practice advising companies from the Life Sciences and Technology sectors on complex IP issues with a particular focus on patents. Her previous experience in patent litigation gives Inga a unique perspective on IP issues that arise.

Inga’s clients include start-up companies as well as large corporations advising throughout the company life cycle.

Inga regularly advises clients on:

  • IP aspects in transactions
  • IP strategy and landscaping
  • Third party IP risk assessments
  • IP ownership and entitlement
  • IP validity assessments
  • Cross-border IP issues
  • Supplementary Protection Certificates

Inga also advises clients on managing and protecting their trade secrets and confidential information, assisting clients in auditing and identifying their trade secrets and putting procedures and processes in place to establish good trade secrets and confidential information handling practices.

Prior to her legal career Inga completed a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and worked for a custom synthesis start-up company.

Read more about Inga-Marlene PietschEmail
Show more Show less
  • Posted in:
    Food, Drug & Agriculture
  • Blog:
    Inside EU Life Sciences
  • Organization:
    Covington & Burling LLP
  • Article: View Original Source

LexBlog, Inc. logo
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter RSS
Real Lawyers
99 Park Row
  • About LexBlog
  • Careers
  • Press
  • Contact LexBlog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Products
  • Blog Pro
  • Blog Plus
  • Blog Premier
  • Microsite
  • Syndication Portals
  • LexBlog Community
  • Resource Center
  • 1-800-913-0988
  • Submit a Request
  • Support Center
  • System Status
  • Resource Center
  • Blogging 101

New to the Network

  • Beyond the First 100 Days
  • In the Legal Interest
  • Cooking with SALT
  • The Fiduciary Litigator
  • CCN Mexico Report™
Copyright © 2025, LexBlog, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Law blog design & platform by LexBlog LexBlog Logo