Prerequisites: None. No background in intellectual property law or science is required.

Exam Type: No Exam

We will explore how intellectual property law—particularly patents and FDA regulatory exclusivity—shape innovation, research, and development in the life sciences. We will study the legal frameworks involved in selecting drug candidates, IP licensing, how firms use IP to protect pharmaceuticals, the optimal timing of patent protection, building patent portfolios, generic drug development, and special litigation rules between brand-name and generic or biosimilar drug companies.

Note: This reading group will meet on the following dates: TBD.