East of England Regional Meeting 2025

Audience

All

Programme & Speakers

• 12:30 - 13:30 - Registration & Networking Lunch
• 13:30 - 13:40 - Introduction from the chair

  Speakers

  

  Dr Simon Mitchell, Murgitroyd

  Dr Simon Mitchell, Murgitroyd

  Simon is a Director in the patents group at Murgitroyd, where he leads the Cambridge and central London offices. Simon enjoys a broad range of biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device work, as well as SPC and plant variety work. Simon serves client needs in both non-contentious and contentious matters, including oppositions and appeals. Simon joined the patent profession in 2008 following an 11-year academic career, which included a PhD and postdoc at University College London, a postdoc at Cornell University Medical College in New York City, and a postdoc at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

• 13:40 - 14:25 - Maximising Relationships to Support Fast-Growing Biotechs: An IP Practitioner’s Guide

  Speakers

  

  Maria Nichol, Artax Biopharma Inc

  Maria Nichol, Artax Biopharma Inc

  Dr Maria Nichol works as a consultant providing IP and business development strategic guidance to small biotechnology companies. Currently she acts as Chief Business Officer for Artax Biopharma, a US based biotech company working on a novel mechanism of action in the autoimmune disease space, and she is also Head of IP at Agomab, a European biotechnology company which is building a broad clinical pipeline of differentiated programs with disease modifying potential in organ failure and fibrotic diseases. Prior to this, Dr Nichol spent 17 years at Galapagos, where she initially built the IP team and was key in ensuring the strategic direction of the portfolio supported the commercial goals of the company, before moving into the Corporate Development team acting as a key member of the search and evaluation team and she was integral in many of their key transactions. Dr Nichol is a UK and European patent attorney, she graduated from Cambridge University in 1997 and holds a D.Phil from the University of Oxford.

• 14:25 - 15:10 - AI and Plausibility

  Speakers

  

  Terence Broderick, Murgitroyd

  Terence Broderick, Murgitroyd

  Terence is a Senior Patent Attorney at Murgitroyd in their Cardiff Office and leads their Artificial Intelligence team. Terence came into the profession in 2009 and is experienced in patent drafting and prosecution, especially in the software space, but also takes a keen interest in the nuances around procedure at both the UKIPO and the EPO and has often provided training to junior fee earners and support staff on patent formalities.

• 15:10 - 15:40 - Refreshment Break
• 15:40 - 16:25 - Session 3

  Speakers

  Sally Curran, GSK

  Sally Curran, GSK

• 16:25 - 17:10 - Session 4
• 17:10 - 17:20 - Closing Remarks from the Chair

  Speakers

  

  Dr Simon Mitchell, Murgitroyd

  Dr Simon Mitchell, Murgitroyd

  Simon is a Director in the patents group at Murgitroyd, where he leads the Cambridge and central London offices. Simon enjoys a broad range of biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device work, as well as SPC and plant variety work. Simon serves client needs in both non-contentious and contentious matters, including oppositions and appeals. Simon joined the patent profession in 2008 following an 11-year academic career, which included a PhD and postdoc at University College London, a postdoc at Cornell University Medical College in New York City, and a postdoc at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

• 17:20 - 19:00 - Drinks Reception with Canapes