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    Christine Willgoos

    Counsel

    New York

    Christine Willgoos’ practice focuses on patent litigation for innovators in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Christine has extensive experience leading trial and appellate teams in Hatch-Waxman and biologic drug litigations concerning blockbuster drugs. In addition to litigation, Christine counsels clients in business and legal matters relating to patent portfolios, including pre-litigation diligence and counseling, regulatory issues and M&A diligence. Christine is also a registered patent attorney and handles inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant proceedings.

    Christine has litigated a wide range of subject matters relating to drug development, including humanized antibody technology, recombinant DNA vectors, nextgen DNA sequencing, complex chemistry and drugs for the treatment of cancer, HIV, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression and anxiety, immune disorders, and dermatologic conditions. Christine is experienced in other industries as well, including medical devices, semiconductors, telecommunications and electronics.

    Christine’s recent successes include obtaining a trial win and injunction for a major pharmaceutical company’s blockbuster cancer drug, securing a consent judgment and recommendation for fees for two innovator companies’ treatment relating to rare cancers, and representing a biotech company in Patent Office proceedings against a major pharmaceutical company, securing a settlement of $1.25 billion.

    • Patent Litigation - Hatch-Waxman

      • Representing a major pharmaceutical company in an ANDA action involving challenges by multiple generic companies to patents protecting a blockbuster four-drug fixed-dose combination for the treatment of HIV infection.
      • Representing a major pharmaceutical company in an ANDA action involving challenges by multiple generic companies to patents protecting a combination drug for the treatment of diabetes.
      • Obtained trial verdict for a major pharmaceutical company in an ANDA action involving four patents protecting a blockbuster cancer therapy. The district court rejected all of the patent challenger’s invalidity theories for each of the patents, and the Federal Circuit affirmed.
      • Successfully represented two innovator pharmaceutical companies against several generic challengers in ANDA actions involving formulation and manufacturing patents protecting a cancer therapy. Defendants abandoned their defenses and instead converted their Paragraph IV Certification to a Paragraph III certification. Obtained an injunction enjoining defendants from infringing the patents through their expiration. Secured a report and recommendation finding the case to be exceptional due to  defendants’ discovery misconduct, warranting an award of attorneys’ fees.
      • Successfully represented a major pharmaceutical company in ANDA actions involving several generic manufacturers to patents protecting a blockbuster, breakthrough treatment for cGVHD and certain B-cell cancers.
      • Successfully represented pharmaceutical company in ANDA actions involving challenges by multiple generic manufacturers to patents relating to dermatologic treatments, obtaining pre-trial preliminary injunction precluding launch of generic drug, and an injunction after trial (affirmed by Federal Circuit).
      • Successfully represented two innovator companies in ANDA actions involving clients’ blockbuster antidepressant, including obtaining a judgment for clients and injunction, affirmed by the Federal Circuit.

      Patent Litigation - BPCIA and Biotechnology

      • Representing a biotech innovator in multiple Section 1782 proceedings in support of cross-border biosimilar litigation involving a blockbuster retinal therapy.
      • Represented biologic innovator of humanized antibody drug in litigation concerning patents relating to vector systems for expression of polypeptides.
      • Represented biologic innovator of humanized antibody drug in litigation concerning immune complement technology.
      • Represented biotech company in Patent Office proceedings against a major pharmaceutical company, securing a settlement of at least $1.25 billion.