Workshop Intellectual Property for Drug Repurposing

Last checked on:
18 March 2026

Drug repurposing offers significant opportunities to accelerate the development of new treatments, particularly for rare diseases. Intellectual property (IP) can play a key role in determining whether repurposed therapies can be developed and ultimately reach patients. This workshop offers a practical introduction to intellectual property in the context of drug repurposing and the socially responsible development of medicines.

Octrooiadviseur in een klassikale workshop
Tuesday
14 April
15:00 - 17:00 (CEST)

Venue

Radboudumc
Experience Center (M260, Waalbrug A, route 7)
Geert Groteplein 15
6525 EZ Nijmegen
NL

Attendee information

  • Registration is free
  • Participation is possible on site (Radboudumc) and online (Microsoft Teams)

Organiser

  • Netherlands Patent Office
  • RARE-NL

What to expect?

This interactive workshop offers a practical introduction to intellectual property and its role in drug repurposing. You will gain insight into:

  • The basic principles of intellectual property and patent protection relevant to drug repurposing;
  • How IP and, for example, market exclusivity influence development strategies and patient access;
  • How second medical use patents and other protection strategies are applied in drug repurposing;
  • How to search for and interpret patent information using publicly accessible databases;
  • How IP can be strategically leveraged to support responsible development, collaborations, and follow-on funding.

The session includes practical examples and case discussions. You will also have the opportunity to ask project-specific questions. To attend this workshop, you don't need prior IP experience.

Part of the workshop will be hands-on. Will you attend this workshop on-site? Please bring a laptop or tablet, as working with patent databases is not suitable on a smartphone. 

Practical information

  • Speaker: Dr. Britta Helwig, Advisor Intellectual Property (Netherlands Patent Office)
  • Format: Hybrid (you can attend this workshop on-site at Radboudumc and online via Microsoft Teams)

Registration

Are you interested in attending the workshop? Please register via the online application form.

Commissioned by:
  • Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
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