However, this  webinar is not about the lawyers, but rather about the companies that they represent in court. There have been cases where generic companies have challenged patents to try to persuade a judge to declare them invalid. This would then clear the way forward  to thereby enable themselves to launch a generic versions of a particularly high-value brand prior to normal patent expiry.

On the opposite side of the equation are the branded companies that frequently surround their premium product with a “patent thicket” to try to render their pet product invulnerable to patent challenges.

They, of course, vigorously defend the prized asset and the patent wall that surrounds it as these are generally very high value assets.

The picture is  complicated by the emergence of generic companies who have themselves moved into original R&D and developed  new molecules of  their own. They, in turn, have mimicked  the “Big Pharma” companies by copying their defensive tactics and have fought court battles to defend  their patents in the same way that their R&D opponents have done.

Similarly, this strange mirror world is further complicated by the emergence of R&D-based Pharma companies that have themselves seen the advantages of becoming active in the generic world

However, it is not always necessary for companies on either side of the divide to resort to legal action.

The “Big Questiosn” is this - how has it worked out for those companies who have decided to cross over the divide, whether from R&D to generics or from generics into the world of R&D? Have they managed to  understand the mentality of their former opponents, adopted their working methods and made a success of the transition?

Or did they fail to adapt to the new world that they entered, miss out on understanding how to play the new game and so end up “falling flat on their faces£?

This webinar sets out to look at both sides of the equation as well as examining those companies that have tried to move over to the other side –  and how they fared.

Areas Covered 

Who Should Attend

Why Should You Attend

If you are a Product or Marketing Manager for a leading prescription product, the approach of a patent expiry will always fill you with some degree of anxiety. At the back of your mind there is bound to be concern and a worry about the answer to the question “What happens next?” Will all that turnover just disappear into the pockets of the generics industry - or is there something that I can do to salvage part of it?

Maybe threaten any company launching a generic with a patent infringement action? But what if we lose? Perhaps a deal with a friendly generic company would be a wiser move? But what if they outsmart us?

The webinar sets out some ideas about steps someone who is in that position  might be able to take  in order to salvage something from a difficult  situation. It provides some insights into how the generics industry works and how perhaps a generic company might be recruited as  as an ally. 

On the generics side, you might be eager to launch a generic of a product whose patent will shortly expire. But what if the patent holder sues you? Can you afford to risk a launch - or is there some way to work with the patent holder?

It is important to stress – both sides need to understand that there will be things that they do not understand about each other at first. As with any other relationship things can go wrong though misunderstandings. This webinar sets out to provide some guidance on how to deal with the other side - or perhaps conclude that there is no way to deal with the other side and that it is time to look for another solution.

Topic Background

At first sight, the answer to this question appears obvious - they are enemies. Aren’t they??

As with so many things, the answer actually falls into a ”Gray Area”. Both ”Yes” and “No” can be correct responses!

There is a perception that the Generics industry and Big Pharma are enemies who have nothing in common. It is, however, possible to argue that they actually need each other and can live together in a type of “symbiotic” relationship. They can even sometimes switch roles!

This webinar sets out to show why both answers can be correct.