Dr. Johann Michael Wirsing
Owner/Principal Consultant
- Stadtweg 12, D-82069 Schäftlarn
- +49 172 859 0203
- johann@wirsing.de
Since Apr. 2009, I have been providing services to small and medium enterprises, particularly of Biotech provenance, on matters of Intellectual Property.
Roche Kulmbach GmbH at the time was a subsidiary of Hoffmann La Roche AG, and was acting as a Center of Excellence for RNAi (RNA-interference) technology within Hoffman La Roche AG. The company was spun-off in 2007 from Alnylam Europe AG, a subsidiary of Alnylam Phamcaeuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA, the industry leader in this technology. It was my responsibility to monitor scientific progress in the company's laboratories for potentially valuable intellectual property, to facilitate the integration of Roche Kulmbach GmbH into the Hoffman La Roche concern in all aspects regarding intellectual property, and to act as liaison officer to the Hoffman La Roche International Patent Department in Basel.
As the first company world wide to focus on RNAi therapeutics, Alnylam Europe AG was formed under the name of Ribopharma AG as a spin-off of the University of Bayreuth, Germany, in June 2000. In July 2003, Ribopharma AG merged with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. to create the leading RNAi therapeutics company. I joined Ribopharma just prior to this merger, and was thereafter put in charge of Alnylam Europe's Intellectual Property activities. Further on, it was my objective to set up, develop and ultimately lead a proper Patent Department for the company. This included, for example:
- advising senior management on Intellectual Property matters;
- liaising with and reporting to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., on these matters;
- conducting IP due diligence investigations, e.g. for Anylam Pharmaceuticals' initial public offering;
- drafting, filing, prosecution and defence of patent applications and patents before the national and international patent offices;
- ensuring compliance of the company with legal requirements, particularly the German Act on Employee inventions,
- in- and out-licensing of technologies.
GPC Biotech AG (subsequently Agennix AG), a once publicly traded biopharmaceutical company formed in 1996, was focused on the development of anticancer drugs. I joined the company at a very early stage and was asked to set up a proper Patent Department, reporting to a Vice President and one of the founders of the company. My responsibilities included:
- advising senior management on Intellectual Property matters;
- conducting IP due diligence investigations, e.g. for GPC Biotech's initial public offering;
- drafting, filing, prosecution and defence of patent applications and patents before the national and international patent offices;
- ensuring compliance of the company with legal requirements, particularly the German Act on Employee inventions,
- in- and out-licensing of technologies
Connex GmbH was founded 1994 as a spin-off from the Institute for Immunology (IfI) of the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität Munich with the intent to clinically develop certain antibodies obtained by the reseachers at IfI. Additionally, it was meant to make these antibodies commercially available for research purposes. As Assistant to the Board, I was responsible for managing many aspects of the company's growth, including the contact and exchange with patent attorneys on Intellectual Property concerns. With its growth, it became increasingly evident that the company needed a full time employee for its Intellectual Property matters. This responsibility was assigned to me, and conducted the set-up of a Patent Department, soliciting advice from the company's Patent Attorneys and members of the Patent Departments of the company's clients (e.g. Schwarz Pharma)
Ph.D. Thesis: "Toxicokinetic aspects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin";
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Antonius Kettrup
Experimental work partly (Apr. 1993 - Jun. 1995) performed under Prof. Karl Rozman at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Continuation of degree Diploma (Chemistry)
Thesis work under Drs. R. St. John Manley/A. Eisenberg on blends of cellulose with ionomers
Astronomy, psychology, music
Having set up Patent Departments for 3 young Biotechnology firms, I count myself an expert in the needs and requirements of aspiring enterprises of the pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industry in as far as Intellectual Property is concerned. From the mundane tasks of running such department to the center court battles before international patent offices, I can advise professionally and competently.