Lorna Tanner

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Lorna Tanner is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm’s Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices and is the former leader of the firm’s Life Sciences team.

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Waiver Of Intellectual Property Protections For COVID-19 Vaccine Unlikely To Have Meaningful Impact In Short Term

On Wednesday, May 7, 2021, the United States officially endorsed waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines. While the United States has taken the opposite position in recent months, the administration asserts that its departure is guided, at least in part, by the goal “to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many … Continue Reading

Federal Circuit Confirms Addition of Two Inventors of Groundbreaking Immunotherapies for Cancer

By Joy Nemirow, Lorna Tanner, Alex Nie and Dylan Turner on July 15, 2020 Posted in Patents

In Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. v. Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, the Federal Circuit held that two scientists, Dr. Gordon Freeman and Dr. Clive Wood, should be included as joint inventors, along with Dr. Tasuku Honjo for patents related to immunotherapy for treating cancer. Identifying foundational discoveries underlying a patent claim could be considered a significant … Continue Reading

USPTO Provides Form for Claiming 30-Day COVID-19 Extensions

By Lorna Tanner, Daniel Yannuzzi and Conner Hutchisson on May 7, 2020 Posted in Patents

On March 31, 2020, the USPTO announced that it is permitting applicants, for delays that are based on the ongoing COVID-19 emergency in the United States, to request a 30-day extension of the time allowed to file certain documents and to pay certain fees. We provided an explanation of this announcement when it was published. … Continue Reading

Congress Gives Patent and Trademark Office Temporary Authorization to Move Deadlines in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic

By Alex Nie, Lorna Tanner and Srikant Viswanadham on March 27, 2020 Posted in Patents, Trademarks and Trade Dress

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. The CARES Act is a $2 trillion economic stimulus and rescue package designed to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, which has resulted in a level of societal and … Continue Reading

Federal Circuit Weighs in on Patent Subject-Matter Eligibility of Dietary Supplements

By Lorna Tanner, Daniel Yannuzzi, Alex Nie and Dylan Turner on March 21, 2019 Posted in Life Sciences, Patents

The Federal Circuit weighed in on patent subject matter eligibility again last week, finding certain amino-acid containing dietary supplements, and related methods of use, to be patent eligible. In Natural Alternatives Int’l v. Creative Compounds, LLC, the Federal Circuit vacated the decision of the district court in the Southern District of California, which held that … Continue Reading

PTO Cancer Immunotherapy Fast Track

By Lorna Tanner and Joy Nemirow on July 14, 2016 Posted in Life Sciences

In response to President Obama’s National Cancer Moonshot initiative to eliminate cancer, the USPTO has launched the “Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program.” The Pilot Program provides an accelerated review for applications related to cancer immunotherapy and is set to launch in July 2016. According to the USPTO, this initiative:… Continue Reading