Pharma, Therapeutics,
Medical Instruments

Home / Practice Areas / Life Sciences / Pharma, Therapeutics,
Medical Instruments

Over the last 20 years, we have played a pivotal role in the majority of the high stake Pharma, Therapeutics, and Medical Instruments cases before the Italian courts, shaping both case law and legislation in the field.

As a regular player before the Italian specialised IP Courts, and with solid experience working with other top-tier European law firms in defending the Italian arm of pan-European litigation, our life science team is in a formidable position to serve both Italian and international clients’ needs in this sector.

With Milan now hosting the Central Division of the Unified Patent Court focussed on Life Sciences and pharmaceuticals, we are perfectly placed to handle cases for clients involved in this sector wherever they are in the world. Any Life Sciences business that thinks that it may need help within the UPC jurisdiction would do well to start here, with Trevisan & Cuonzo’s world class team.

We are regularly called upon to give advice on Italian and European anti-competitive issues in the pharmaceutical sector as well as handling regulatory matters such as data exclusivity, Italian market authorisations and matters relating to patent law.

Recent notable cases:

  • Assisting a global biopharmaceutical group in defending its patent rights concerning an innovative anticancer drug of crucial importance for the treatment of certain neoplasms
  • Representing one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies in patent infringement proceedings brought against an API manufacturer. The decision established a new principle of law on the interpretation of the Bolar clause under Italian law
  • Assisting a pharmaceutical giant before the UPC Milan Central Division in a patent litigation concerning the infringement of a second medical use patent covering a specific form of administration of an active ingredient
  • Representing a top-5 multinational pharmaceutical company in a dispute concerning the enforcement of patents protecting a blockbuster medicinal product for the treatment of diabetes
  • Representing one of the most important biopharmaceutical multinationals in relation to a dispute concerning patent protection for the second medical use of an anticancer drug for the treatment of breast cancer
  • Assisting a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company in the framework of patent invalidity proceedings, instigated before the Court of Milan by a Dutch pharmaceutical company, in relation to a key medicinal product for the treatment of prostate cancer
  • Assisting a renowned Italian biopharmaceutical company and its licensee in the prosecution and enforcement of patents and related SPCs for use in treating the Parkinson’s disease

Leading some of the most important pharmaceutical patent cases in Italy

The Legal 500, 2025