Life sciences businesses, from early‑stage biotech spin‑outs to global pharmaceutical companies, operate in fast‑moving, highly regulated environments where strong intellectual property protection is essential.
With decades of combined experience advising businesses within the life sciences economy, Gateley IP’s specialist life science patent attorneys advise life sciences clients on how to protect their ideas, secure investment and turn scientific progress into commercial value. A combination of deep scientific understanding and clear, pragmatic advice supports the significant economic ambitions for organisations within the life sciences sector.
Why Gateley IP?
Many of our attorneys have higher degrees, PhDs and post‑doctoral research experience across the biosciences. This advanced scientific background enables us to quickly grasp the nature of your research, understand its technical possibilities and secure the most robust protection for your innovation. We look to work together with you to add value to your IP. Our experience ranges from academic research and early‑stage spin‑outs to established global life science organisations, giving us a broad perspective on both emerging and mature technologies.
Our team offers specialist expertise across:
- personalised medicine
- drug delivery and small-molecule therapeutics
- biologics, antibodies and vaccines
- regenerative medicine and gene therapy
- diagnostic and prognostic testing
- medical and veterinary devices
- pharmaceutical compositions and formulations
- recombinant biological materials
This deep technical knowledge means we can work collaboratively with academics, clinicians and R&D teams, often helping shape experimental strategy or suggesting additional work that may enhance and strengthen patent filings. Our priority is to develop long-lasting and mutually-beneficial relationships that maximise the benefit that your technology can bring to your business.
What do we do?
We advise throughout the innovation lifecycle, from early‑stage R&D and clinical development to product launch and international expansion.
Our services include:
- Patent protection for novel chemical entities, biological materials, therapeutic compounds and formulations.
- Freedom to operate assessments and competitor landscape analysis to de‑risk R&D and market entry.
- Trade mark and design protection for life sciences products, brands and technologies.
- Commercial advisory support, including licensing arrangements and collaboration agreements.
- IP strategy and portfolio management aligned with research, funding and commercial milestones.
- Transaction and due diligence advice on a wide range of investment, private equity and debt transactions.
- International patent prosecution supported by trusted overseas attorney partners.
- Collaborative support for academics and researchers, including strategic input into experiments or further work that may enhance patentability.
- Handling complex, multi-party, opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office (EPO), and validity and infringement proceedings before Unified Patent Court (UPC) and/ or UK national courts.
Who do we help?
Our experience ranges from academic research and early‑stage spin‑outs to established global life science organisations, giving us a broad perspective on both emerging and mature technologies.
Relevant sector experience
- University spin‑outs and life science technologies – specialist biotech expertise. Our life sciences team offer deep experience advising universities and spin‑outs on a wide range of biotechnology innovations, including vaccines, therapeutics, gene and cell therapies, diagnostic assays, antibodies and drug repurposing. The team routinely supports IP strategy, protection, and enforcement, as well as commercialisation activities such as freedom‑to‑operate assessments and due diligence exercises that inform investment decisions by both public and private sector funders, ensuring that early‑stage life sciences IP is both defensible and commercially credible.
- Pharmaceutical drug delivery technology. Advised a clinical‑stage drug development company on the long‑term protection and commercialisation of its inhaler technology. The firm developed multiple international patent families covering high‑dose pulmonary drug delivery, supporting them through prototype optimisation, prosecution and freedom to operate analysis. This robust IP position was central to its $5m sale of the technology to a global pharmaceutical manufacturer, enabling further development of therapies for respiratory disease.
- Global pharmaceutical patent strategy and monetisation. Advised a pharmaceutical company in relation to its research programme concerning controlled‑release hormone replacement therapies for rare diseases, on patent strategy and prosecution from company inception through to AIM listing and eventual acquisition. The team built and maintained robust international patent families protecting modified‑release formulations, supporting extensive global licensing deals across the US, China, Europe and Asia and generating licensing revenues in excess of $100m. The team also provided detailed freedom‑to‑operate and investor‑facing patent portfolio analysis, helping underpin the company’s acquisition an American publicly listed biopharmaceutical company.
- Biotechnology tools and investment readiness. Provided advice to a Russell Group university spin‑out developing research tools for the pharmaceutical industry, on rebuilding and future‑proofing its IP portfolio ahead of Series A fundraising. The team developed a new patent strategy to capture recent innovations at the interface of biology, engineering and software, working closely with scientists, management, investors and the board. This integrated life sciences and engineering capability was instrumental in securing investor confidence and positioning the client for growth and a potential trade sale.
- Appointed by a University to deliver patent and IP services across a broad life sciences and biotechnology portfolio as part of a EU‑funded regional development project. The team managed a portfolio of more than 240 patent families covering technologies including genetic engineering, RNA interference, antibody‑drug conjugates, diagnostics, antimicrobials, biosensors and medical devices. Providing end‑to‑end support from patent drafting and prosecution to technology transfer, spin‑out formation and commercialisation, working closely with academic inventors and UK health boards.