With vaccine brand names still very much top-of-mind for Canadians, Gowling WLG's own Brian Kingwell and Dr. Sonia Ziesche took part in a recent online panel discussion surrounding drug development and intellectual property. The event touched on everything from identifying intellectual property during R&D to the importance of freedom to operate analysis, international filing strategies and portfolio management, and the unique industry challenges brought to light due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click below to watch a recap of the event, co-sponsored by Gowling WLG and Life Sciences British Columbia.

Brian Kingwell, a partner, patent agent, and trademark agent in the firm's Vancouver office, has more than two decades of experience in patent prosecution and strategic patent portfolio counselling. Dr. Sonia Ziesche, a principal, patent agent, and the chair of the firm's Life Sciences Group in Vancouver, is known for developing targeted patent programs designed to capture innovations and provide a competitive advantage.

The pair from Gowling WLG were joined by Dr. Isabelle Riedl, senior supervisor, intellectual property, at Medicago. The latter is a Canadian biotechnology company focused on producing candidate vaccines and medications through the use of plants.