China v US: what can be patented in the life sciences field?

Regarding patentable subject matter, the TRIPS Agreement specifies in a rticle 27.1 that patents shall be available “for any inventions, whether products or processes, in all technical fields”. In the US, the Supreme Court established the principle in the decision of Diamond v Chakrabarty in 1981 that “patentable subject matter should include anything under the sun that is made by man”.

Already registered?

For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription that we can add you to for FREE, please email Adrian Tapping at atapping@newtonmedia.co.uk

More on this story

Americas

Will Mounjaro and Zepbound get their first US generic rival?

30 June 2026 Sandoz has filed FDA applications for generic versions of Eli Lilly’s blockbuster drugs, marking an early step towards potential competition in the fast-growing GLP-1 market.

Americas

Pfizer’s US Paxlovid patent fight turns on a single error

25 June 2026 The Federal Circuit has brought Paxlovid’s infringement case to an end, serving as a reminder that even minor changes to patent language can have major consequences.

Americas

Court upholds $83m sequencing verdict and sets royalty rate

17 June 2026 A cancer diagnostics company has lost its bid to overturn a jury verdict in a major patent dispute that has also spawned parallel proceedings before the Federal Circuit and PTAB.

More features

Will Mounjaro and Zepbound get their first US generic rival?

King & Spalding continues hiring spree from pre-merged Winston

Ashurst Perkins Coie opens its doors following landmark merger

Merck KGaA agrees $11.3bn deal in major life sciences expansion

Pfizer’s US Paxlovid patent fight turns on a single error

Novartis and Eli Lilly sign separate $1.9bn novel drug deals

Novo secures website blocking to tackle fake weight-loss drugs

GLP-1 patents and Africa: The COVID-19 lessons we still have not learned

China v US: what can be patented in the life sciences field?

More on this story

Editor's picks

Editor's picks

More features