Microscopic photo from National Cancer Institute

Sector group

Life sciences

HGF’s life sciences attorneys understand the challenges associated with commercially focused IP management and can advise on the pertinent issues, from invention conception through to patent term extension, to maximise the value of intellectual property.

Lady looking into test tube

As one of Europe’s largest groups of specialist life science attorneys, HGF has the wealth of technical and legal expertise to deliver truly global, commercially-focused strategies.

From protecting new research from Europe’s most prestigious universities, to high-profile oppositions for international healthcare companies on market-leading technologies, the team possesses in-depth legal experience. Particular technical expertise within the group covers the fields of food technology, microbiome for therapeutic purposes, cell and gene therapy, bioinformatics, cleantech, agritech, immunobiology, gene editing technologies, personalised medicine and anti-infectives.

In addition, our life sciences attorneys work closely with our IP lawyers in relation to life cycle agreements such as MTAs, R&D collaborations, companion diagnostics, IP licensing, clinical trials through to commercial manufacturing and supply, and litigation.

Latest updates

INTA 2025 Annual Meeting Live

The HGF European team will be attending the INTA Annual Meeting Live, which will take place on 17th-21st May in San Diego, US. The conference will connect some of the …

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HGF wins big at the Managing IP EMEA Awards Ceremony 2025

The Annual Managing IP Awards: EMEA Awards 2025 were announced last night, and HGF are proud to have won 7 awards. The Managing IP Awards are highly recognised and respected …

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Plant Patent Infringement in the US Relies on Evidence of Asexual Reproduction

A recent case in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas Division) once again highlights how important the initial pleadings and evidence in patent infringement cases …

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Exam Success at HGF!

HGF is pleased to announce that several of our attorneys have passed their UK Advanced Patent exams! In no specific order, we would like to say well done and a …

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IP Ingredients: How food companies are using IP to stay ahead of the GLP-1 curve

The impact of GLP-1 on the food and beverage sector GLP-1 agonists, best-known under the brand names Ozempic® and Wegovy®, are medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. …

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European Innovation Remains Strong: The EPO Patent Index 2024

The Patent Index 2024, recently published by the European Patent Office (EPO), provides a rich dataset from which key patent trends can be identified. The data shows that demand for …

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HGF ranked highly recommended in the WIPR Trade Mark Rankings 2025

HGF has been recognised as a leading firm in the recently published World IP Review (WIPR) Trade Mark Rankings 2025. This achievement highlights our continued commitment to excellence in trade …

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T1977/22: Can claims defined by open-ended ranges ever be sufficiently disclosed?

The EPO’s Board of Appeal’s decision in T1977/22 provides an interesting review of the case law concerning the compatibility of whole range sufficiency and claims defined as a result to …

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