AIPLA Spring Meeting
Committee Educational Session
April 30, 2015, Los Angeles, CA
Co-Sponsored by:
AIPLA
Biotechnology & Corporate Practice
Committees
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DISCLAIMER
The story of Soteria Biosciences is entirely a work of
fiction, based on the presenters’ and organizers’
collective imagination.
All events, plant species, chemical compounds,
characters and/or corporate entities appearing in this
work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real events,
corporate entities, or to any persons, living or dead,
or to any real plant species or chemical compounds,
is purely coincidental.
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Soteria Biosciences: The Early IP
Adventures of an Agri-Biotech Startup
Company as it Morphs into a Global
Multidisciplinary Giant
• Moderator: Angela Sebor, GlobeImmune, Inc.
• Playing: Soteria Biosciences Chief Business
Officer
• Session Organizer: Debora Plehn-Dujovich,
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
• Playing: Chief Operating Officer & Time Shifter
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The Cast of Panelists: Section 1
Early Stage Corporate Issues
• Lee Johnson, Wilson, Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
• Playing: Outside Patent & IP Counsel, U.S.
• Mark Pidkowich, Smart & Biggar
• Playing: Outside Patent & IP Counsel,
International
• Jen Zarutskie Sieczkiewicz, Biogen Idec, Inc.
• Playing: Soteria Biosciences IP, Research &
Business Development Counsel
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The Cast of Panelists: Section 2
Foreign Filing Issues
• Angela Domitrovich, Sheridan Ross P.C.
• Playing: Outside Counsel, Patent Agent
• Joel Silver, Gilead Sciences, Inc.
• Playing: Soteria Biosciences Vice President
Intellectual Property, International
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The Cast of Panelists: Section 3
Legal and Diligence Issues
• Bonnie Weiss-McLeod, Cooley LLP
• Playing: Outside Counsel, IP Strategy and Due
Diligence
• Carey Jordan, McDermott Will & Emery
• Playing: Outside Counsel, Licensing and
Transactions
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Section 1
Early Stage Corporate Issues:
Research & Development
Patent Landscape
Due Diligence
Ownership
Funding
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Soteria Biosciences
Intellectual Property Strategy Meeting
Re: State A&M Technology
Due Diligence & License Negotiations
Soteria Biosciences
Corporate Overview
• Early Stage Startup Company focused on agricultural
science
• Mission: Discover and develop new plant varieties
of Humurus sativa (common name “Humor”) for use
in agricultural and other biotechnology commercial
applications
• Special interest in varieties of Humor having
modified humurbidiol (HBD) and/or
tetrahydrohumurbinol (THH)
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State A&M License Evaluation
• Extensive R & D program: Dr. Metamorphosis,
distinguished Professor at State A&M
• Discovery of “NuHumor” varieties (genetically
modified Humurus sativa)
• High HBD content (beneficial medical effects)
• THH KO (no/low psychoactive effects)
• Plant Application and Provisional and PCT
Applications filed
• Early data presented at scientific meeting(s) and in
graduate student dissertation (post-provisional filing)
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State A&M License Evaluation
• Soteria License Term Sheet (proposed):
• Ask:
• License to all IP related to NuHumor,
and control of patent prosecution
• License to NuHumor plant varieties
• License to all State A&M
technology/”know how” related to
NuHumor
• Terms: Milestones, Royalties
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A FEW YEARS LATER…..
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Soteria Biosciences Today
• License from StateA&M completed
• Filed “NuHumor” PCT Application globally
• Significant financing rounds completed
• Soteria Biosciences internal R&D program
advanced
• Soteria AG (European division) formed
• Selling plants to farmers for industrial and
foodstuff uses under license
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Section 2
Foreign Filing Issues:
Foreign Filing Considerations
Novelty/Absolute Novelty
Potential Priority Pitfalls
Foreign Filing Licenses
Special Issues
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Soteria Biosciences
Intellectual Property Strategy Meeting
Re: Foreign Filing
Soteria Biosciences
Recent Developments
• Soteria AG reports “high oil” NuHumor
• Discuss possible new global patent filings
• State A&M issue: alleged memo from Dr.
Derivation, visiting scientist
• Discussions with Mr. Cheechong re: plant
discovery, “NoPain”
• Research program: Soteria discovers
“NoPainNoGain”
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MOVING FORWARD AGAIN…..
Patent Landscape
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Section 3
Legal and Diligence Issues:
Preserving Confidential Information
Preserving Privileged Information
Common Interest Agreements
Privilege Waiver
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Soteria Biosciences
Intellectual Property Strategy Meeting
Re: BigPharma Negotiations
Confidentiality and Privilege