Inaugural Wiet Life Science Law Scholars Conference

FDLI member Jordan Paradise reports on the launch of a new academic initiative to engage life sciences law scholars and practitioners. Check back in the spring for information about opportunities to participate in an FDLI-sponsored panel at next year’s conference.

Loyola University Chicago School of Law hosted the inaugural Wiet Life Science Law Scholars Conference on Friday, October 13, 2017. The conference provides a new, annual intellectual venue for life science scholars and practitioners: a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment that fosters recognition of life science law as a cohesive, dynamic area of legal study and strengthens connections among national life science law scholars. The conference was organized by Professors Cynthia Ho and Jordan Paradise.

Twenty-four national and international scholars were selected from a Call for Papers to present their articles in a workshop format with 15 minutes to present followed by 15 minutes of participant feedback. Peter Maybarduk, Director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program, gave the keynote address on the topic of Politics, Power and Drug Pricing in the Trump Era. Scholarly articles spanned a variety of topics, including:

• Proposals for enhanced FDA exclusivity periods
• IP aspects of precision medicine
• Legal strategies post-Myriad
• NIH cancer-related patenting trends
• State drug pricing laws
• Regulation of gene editing
• The role of international treaties in life science research