Tamera M. Weisser

Weisser has helped successfully defend AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd. against patent challenges involving the world's top-selling drug, Humira.

Amgen Inc. and Coherus Biosciences Inc. brought the inter partes reviews before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Following the preliminary responses filed by AbbVie in three matters, the PTAB denied advancement of the proceedings to the next stage.

"We have a 100 percent success rate in the cases we have been handling," Weisser said.

She highlighted that her time as a research scientist in the area of immunology has come in very handy as she undertakes patent work concerning antibody therapeutics, such as Humira.

"Because of my background, I was perfectly poised to do some of the earliest work in this area," Weisser said.

Weisser, a Jones Day partner based in San Diego, serves as the co-leader of the firm's global patent prosecution group.

The role includes business development, hiring and ensuring a strong pipeline of talent is developed.

The firm has more than 100 patent prosecutors around the world and is not shy about turning to experts who reside in different locales than clients.

"We have a deep bench strength of folks we can call on," Weisser said.

She has helped Jones Day become the only firm to receive the "Band 1" rating for patent prosecution in California from Chambers and Partners.

Weisser has also assisted NGM Biopharmaceuticals in establishing a patent portfolio for its novel protein therapies. In particular, she has assisted with patent work involving NGM282, a drug designed, among other things, to reduce liver fat content and improve liver function in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

"Our job is to protect the assets by generating a patent portfolio globally in an effort to prevent others from utilizing the same technology," she said.

— Lyle Moran