Turning science into value: Top tips for an effective life sciences IP strategy

London Life Sciences Week starts on 15 November 2026, and to mark the occasion, we wanted to share our top ten practical tips for building a stronger, smarter IP strategy in the life sciences sector. Following each of these will help shape an IP strategy that protects innovation, supports growth and keep your competitors at bay.

1. Is the timing right?

Deciding when to file a patent application is a particularly fine balancing act. File too soon and you may not have the data necessary to support your claims. File too late and there will likely be additional prior art to consider. Ideally, the timing will be data driven, although other factors, such as an up-coming conference or publication, may well force your hand.

2. Critically assess what claim scope the available experimental data supports

For patent applications in the life sciences sector, data is critical. Key to the assessment of both inventive step and sufficiency of disclosure, the importance of having data in your patent application cannot be overstated. The type and amount of data required is often case-specific and should be assessed at the drafting stage. Furthermore, drafting a patent application without data being used to determine what the actual “invention” is, can lead to unnecessary costs and delays. 

3. Strong drafting is a must

Drafting a patent application to withstand prosecution before multiple patent offices is a skill that takes years of practice. Amongst other things, it is key that the description of a patent application contains numerous fall-back positions (of varying breadth) that the applicant can rely on in prosecution if needed. 

4. Consider differing patentability requirements in different territories from the start

Each patent office across the world has its own patentability requirements. Considering those requirements at the drafting stage, and building the necessary support into the application, is key to improving the chances of securing commercially useful protection in multiple territories.

5. Have a tailored filing strategy

A filing strategy should be tailored to a company’s business needs and goals. A filing strategy involving parallel applications can be of particular use, as this allows narrower claims directed to the commercial product/process to proceed more quickly to grant, whilst broader claims remain pending.

6. Establish the chain of title from beginning

Determining inventorship and ownership of the invention from the outset is key. Discovering an issue with entitlement further down the line can be both costly and, in some instances, fatal to the patent application.

7. Consider a pre-filing novelty search

Conducting a pre-filing novelty search can provide you with a clear idea of what prior art is relevant to your patent application. Not only does this enable you to draft a patent application around the prior art, if the search shows that your invention is in fact not novel, you will have made a significant financial saving in not continuing with the filing.

8. Employ a layered IP approach

Having multiple patent applications/patents protecting different aspects of your commercial product/process can both extend the loss of exclusivity date and result in a more robust IP portfolio, causing competitors to pause before challenging your IP rights.

9. Continuously assess the commercial relevance of your IP portfolio

A patent application that does not reflect the commercial needs of a company is, at best, of limited value. Throughout prosecution, it is essential that the claims continue to map onto the commercial product/process. Even a narrow claim directed to the commercial product/process can be of significant value to a life sciences company. A regular review of your IP portfolio and “pruning” any redundant cases not only saves costs but ensures a focused IP portfolio that can be effectively managed and enforced.

10. Know what your competitors are doing

Knowledge is power! Keeping abreast of what your competitors are doing enables you to shape your own IP and commercial strategy accordingly. Monitoring third-party applications/publications and setting up watches to alert you to any recent activity on third-party applications can be an effective and cost-efficient way of tracking competitor activity and, if necessary, acting accordingly.

The biotech team at GJE has extensive experience in patenting inventions in the life sciences sector. To discuss your biotech IP strategy and needs, please contact us at biotech@gje.com.