Welcome to the Spring edition of BioBrief. To celebrate Spring (despite the somewhat unseasonal and changeable weather), we have made some changes to the layout which we hope will reflect the new growth in the Life Sciences sector.
We have a market report from our corporate team which highlights the many life sciences deals they have advised on in recent months and reflects the continued growth of the sector.
One of the reasons for the continued growth is that the sector continues to adapt and evolve.
The life sciences sector is one where there is a lot of opportunity for fusion between different technologies. As more drug companies start to use artificial intelligence (or perhaps what can currently be more accurately described as “machine learning”), to enhance the traditional drug discovery process, these are exciting times for new technological advancements in life sciences. I have provided an article considering what types of IP are likely to arise from such fusions of new technologies.
Across the firm we have a range of experts who can advise life sciences companies and we have included a report from our corporate experts on the recent announcement by HMRC that the UK has failed to renew its state aid for Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) schemes. This is likely to have significant tax implications for companies in the sector.
Regarding Brexit, we have an article on the effects on market access for medical devices and medicines which are still very uncertain and further complicated as we wait for decisions regarding any transitional arrangements.
Our immigration team works very closely with the technology community and they have written an article on the many challenges facing technology companies who employ staff from overseas.
We have an article on the new European Trade Secrets Directive and this could provide a very important way of protecting algorithms amongst other types of valuable secret information where they satisfy the definition provided for a trade secret.
We hope you enjoy this edition and would be happy to hear from you if there are any topics you would like to see covered in future editions. Do contact one of our team if you require further information on any of the articles or advice and support on any issues affecting your company.
Dr Eileen McMorrow Editor, BioBrief Senior Associate, Life Sciences London
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