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The Patent Trolls Are Coming...To Medtech

 
• By Jay Nuttall

For years medical device makers have largely avoided one of the technology world’s biggest headaches: patent “troll” litigation, but that’s about to change. What medtech needs to do to fight the trolls.

Patent litigation has been on the rise for decades, with the number of cases filed increasing six times since the 1980s. Most of the growth in the last decade can be attributed to a class of litigants who file lawsuits for a living. These plaintiffs call themselves patent aggregators or non-practicing entities (NPEs), but are commonly referred to as patent "trolls." They acquire patents with no intention of using the underlying technology. They never manufacture or sell anything. Instead, many monetize their patents by aggressively filing infringement lawsuits against businesses that the trolls argue are using the technology. This has proven to be such a lucrative practice that several NPEs are now publicly traded companies.

Given that litigation is their reason for being, it’s no surprise that trolls are fearless in filing their infringement claims....

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Final Chance To Have Your Say: Take Our Reader Survey This Week

 
• By Eleanor Malone

Editor’s note: This is your final call to participate in the survey to better understand our subscribers’ content and delivery needs. The deadline is 20 September.

Early Development Deals: Ipsen's Strategy For Biomarker-Driven Success

 
• By Eliza Slawther

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Shape Our Content: Take The Reader Survey

 
• By Eleanor Malone

Editor’s note: We are conducting a survey to better understand our subscribers’ content and delivery needs. If there are any changes you’d like to see in the coverage topics, content format or the method in which you receive and access In Vivo, or if you love it how it is, now is the time to have your voice heard.

In Partnership with Cerba Research

Prioritizing Safety in CAR-T Therapy: Patient Monitoring with Cerba Research’s Testing Portfolio

The cell and gene therapy (CGT) clinical trial landscape in general and CAR-T cell clinical trials in particular are a special focus for the FDA, EMA, and other regulatory agencies. The whole industry is thus aware of the recent FDA safety investigation and requirements for labeling CAR therapy products.

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• By Jo Shorthouse

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