As patent enforcement strategies face growing scrutiny, competition law is increasingly influencing how life science companies manage exclusivity and market access. This session will unpack recent court and authority decisions across Europe, Switzerland, and the United States, spotlighting how regulators are drawing the line between legitimate IP enforcement and anti-competitive conduct. From divisional strategy concerns in the Copaxone case to the exoneration of Novartis by COMCO, attendees will gain a nuanced understanding of evolving antitrust standards and how to adapt their own IP strategy accordingly.
• Analyse the implications of the Copaxone divisional strategy case and what it signals about future antitrust enforcement in the context of IP gaming.
• Understand why COMCO cleared the Cosentyx® patent portfolio case and what it reveals about balancing freedom to operate and competition law.
• Explore the intersection of U.S. antitrust enforcement with FDA listing practices delistings, ANDA exclusivity, and the shifting impact of FTC and Federal Circuit decisions.
• Examine how China’s recent implementation of ANDA litigation and patent linkage modeled on the U.S. Hatch-Waxman system - is impacting exclusivity, competition, and antitrust scrutiny in both jurisdictions.
Julia Pike
Since March 2020, Julia has been the Global Head of IP for Sandoz. In her previous roles with Sandoz, she has had a leading role in the first wave of US biosimilars litigation, including the first litigations on critical aspects of the governing legislation (the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act or BPCIA), culminating in the landmark US Supreme Court decision, Sandoz v Amgen.
Since leaving private practice at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Julia has been in-house counsel for many years including at Mayne Pharma and Hospira Inc before joining Sandoz in 2008. While there, she has taken on roles in European public affairs and led Sandoz’s global IP litigation function as Global Head of IP Litigation. Through those roles, she has maintained a keen interest in IP strategy and litigation worldwide, including cases arising under the Hatch-Waxman and BPCIA legislation in the US, PM(NOC) regulations in Canada and litigation arising from patent linkage systems around the world.
