BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

Looking ahead at PTO

October 18, 2014 2:34 AM UTC

President Obama's nomination of Michelle Lee as director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office marks a victory of Silicon Valley tech interests over the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry in their battle for control over quotidian decisions on patent policy and influence over legislation, according to congressional staff and pharma industry lobbyists who spoke to BioCentury. But technical regulatory decisions will be closely watched as well.

Last summer, White House officials considered pharmaceutical executive Philip Johnson for the position. Johnson, SVP for intellectual property policy and strategy at Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), has represented the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, which includes many pharmaceutical company members. ...