The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are evolving with increasing rapidity in Canada and around the World. Navigating this expanding life sciences industry requires great care and innovative solutions. Clients look to the Blaneys Life Sciences Group as trusted advisors who provide knowledgeable support in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as well as seamless service across various disciplines, including general corporate matters, employment law, competition law, and anti-counterfeiting strategies.

Our clients include a broad scope of life science stakeholders. Whether working with large corporations, new start-ups or individual stakeholders, Blaneys Life Sciences Group strives to understand its clients needs and accordingly tailors its practice to provide the best fit for its clients.

Many of our life science professionals have scientific and engineering degrees, have had first-hand experience working in research and in the pharmaceutical industry, and remain engaged in the field by participating in various industry organizations.

Within the Life Sciences Group, our areas of expertise include:

Intellectual Property

• Patent and trade-mark protection including clearance opinions, filing applications, and prosecution through to registration;
• Providing patentability, validity and infringement opinions;
• Enforcing intellectual property rights, including litigation and strategic advice under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations;
• Domain name protection and enforcement issues;
• Conducting intellectual property audits;
• Advising on transactional due diligence;
• Providing strategic advice on intellectual property portfolios

Regulatory Services

• Drug marketing approvals;
• Clinical trial agreements;
• Biotech and pharmaceutical product submissions and review processes;
• Advice on natural health products;
• Advice on pharmaceutical pricing and provincial formulary listing, including representation before the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB);
• Product recalls and detentions;
• Obtaining advertising clearances;
• Obtaining site licenses;
• Compliance with prescribed Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Laboratory Practices;
• Environmental site compliance

Financial and Corporate Services

• Structured and debt financing and lending transactions;
• Incorporation, corporate-commercial due diligence, tax planning, chain of title reviews and collaboration;
• Corporate governance;
• Preparing and negotiating licensing, cross-licensing and corporate agreements such as supply, distribution and product acquisition agreements;
• Joint ventures, partnership, mergers and corporate reorganizations;
• Preparing contract manufacturing, research and co-development agreements

Privacy and Access to Information

• Preparing and responding to third party requests to Health Canada regarding access to information;
• Ensuring compliance with privacy legislation, conducting privacy audits and assessments, and representation on privacy issues before the Privacy Commissioner;
• Advice in complying with Personal Health Information statutes

Policy Development and Government Relations

• Providing advice on government relations, regulatory affairs and strategic communications;
• Providing strategic policy advice

Advocacy Relating to Internet Pharmacies