Behind the NHS, and the many private medical services operating in the UK, lies an extensive supply industry, which is key to the functioning of many of our hospitals and doctors’ surgeries. These medical device companies are responsible for the development of technologies aimed at helping people to live longer, healthier lives and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare.
The development of new medical devices requires significant investment and strict regulations can create barriers to market, however there are also tremendous opportunities. The worldwide market for medical devices is valued at over $400 billion and this is expected to grow as demand for modern treatments increases. Intellectual property protection should therefore play an important role in protecting your investment and securing your potential returns.
Members of our team have invaluable experience of working within the healthcare field. We act for one of the world’s largest manufacturers of surgical and wound care products, and have extensive experience with many of the UK’s leading over-the-counter pharmaceutical brands. We have advised on patents for tissue implants, antibody therapies, surgical instrumentation, assay strips and medical imaging, amongst many other medical devices and technologies.
In addition, we continually advise upon global patent and trade mark strategies in the healthcare sector and have regularly been called upon to advise on counterfeiting and parallel import issues, which can have serious consequences beyond intellectual property. We also have extensive experience of enforcement of healthcare intellectual property overseas, particularly in the Far East.
We also understand that extreme care must be taken in the healthcare industry in the development of specialised, regulatory-approved products and, whilst competition is ever present, there is an underlying duty to deliver quality goods and avoid confusion in the market place.
To discuss intellectual property protection for your business, please get in touch to speak to a member of our healthcare team.