Attend ACI's 8th Annual Summit on Life Sciences IP Due Diligence, and join IP counsel from across the life sciences industry to benchmark your diligence strategies, strengthen portfolio valuation approaches, and stay ahead of...more
The Bayh-Dole Act provides that the federal government retains certain rights in inventions it funds. Many have sought to use those rights as a way to lower the cost of prescription drugs for consumers and for the federal...more
On August 8, 2025, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took an unprecedented step that could reshape the landscape of federally funded research and intellectual property law. He sent a letter informing...more
In an effort to ameliorate perceived problems with the manner in which the federal government issues federal grant funding and the nature of the grants that it funds, President Trump recently announced a sweeping new grant...more
On August 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce notified Harvard University (Harvard) that it has initiated a comprehensive review of Harvard’s federally funded research programs to assure compliance with the Bayh-Dole...more
The Trump administration recently announced that it will begin investigating compliance with the Bayh-Dole Act, signaling it may invoke march-in rights or more dramatic request for title of patents relating to inventions...more
In Fiscal Year 2023, colleges and universities spent approximately $109 billion on research and development expenditures of which $59.6 billion, or 55%, was federally funded. In Fiscal Year 2022, the Small Business Innovation...more
On August 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce sent a letter to Harvard University—also shared publicly on the social media platform X—alleging that the university failed to comply with several provisions of the Bayh-Dole...more
In 2023, global investments in energy transition projects surged to approximately $1.7 trillion. This unprecedented investment level underscores the transformative shift toward cleaner energy sources and technologies....more
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN LIFE SCIENCES - Life sciences companies are forming AI-driven strategic collaborations with tech giants, creating synergy that promises to revolutionize the industry. Companies like NVIDIA,...more
In our previous Mintz IRA Update, we covered the Biden administration’s proposal exploring the use of “march-in rights” granted under the Bayh-Doyle Act (the “Act”) to seize pharmaceutical patents if the administration...more
The Biden administration appears steadfast in its efforts to lower prescription drug costs and continues to explore multiple avenues — even as the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program continues to move forward — to tackle...more
U.S. universities and academic institutions rely heavily on federal grants to fund their research and generate innovations in life sciences. Universities often out-license patents protecting inventions created using federal...more
On February 6, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) commented in support of what would be a historic expansion of government march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act in response to the release of the National Institute...more
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took the next step in its long-standing effort to encourage lower prices and increase competition in the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the Biden administration’s whole government...more
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released for public comment a “Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March In-Rights” (“March-In Framework”) on December 8, 2023...more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced various actions to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. In one action, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in December 2023 a draft...more
Under the University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act of 1980 (35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212), commonly referred to as the Bayh-Dole Act, the federal government can exercise “march-in” authority in certain circumstances to...more
In the Biden administration’s pursuit of increasing affordability of healthcare and prescription drugs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in December 2023 its draft framework on the US...more
On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights (guidance) to the public for comment. The...more
The Department of Commerce and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are requesting comments on a “draft guidance framework designed to help federal agencies evaluate when it may be appropriate to exercise...more
The Situation: On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology ("NIST") released a proposed framework for federal agencies regarding the exercise of the government's march-in rights for federally...more
The Biden Administration recently announced a plan to leverage an old tool in a new way to try to reduce drug costs: exercising “march-in rights” under the Bayh-Dole Act for drugs that were supported by government funding. ...more
Presented as part of its effort to lower what it views as excessive prices for prescription drugs, the Biden administration on December 7, 2023, announced the release of a proposed framework to expand the use of government...more
On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a draft guidance document regarding the government’s exercise of “march-in” rights under the Bayh-Dole Act. The following Q&A, in...more