Alexa Hansen

Alexa Hansen had always been driven by a passion for law and science. As a partner at Covington & Burling LLP, she carved out a prominent position as a leading patent litigation attorney with a focus on pharmaceutical and biological patents. Her expertise in the field, coupled with her previous experience as a medicinal chemist at Merck & Co., Inc., made her a formidable force in the courtroom.

Having worked on high-profile cases, one of the major matters Hansen had recently led was the Amgen Hatch-Waxman Patent Trial win. It involved a significant litigation battle for Amgen’s psoriasis drug, Otezla, which was valued at $2 billion. Hansen served as lead counsel throughout the trial, initially representing Celgene and later Amgen after its acquisition of Otezla. The trial saw Celgene sue 19 generic pharmaceutical companies seeking to market generic copies of Otezla. Through strategic negotiations and trial proceedings, Hansen managed to secure favorable settlements with 17 of the companies.

However, she continued to fight for Amgen against the remaining non-settling generic companies, Sandoz and Zydus. Conducting a nine-day virtual trial with numerous witnesses, Hansen showcased her expertise. Ultimately, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey issued a 91-page opinion in September 2021 affirming the validity and infringement of certain patents against both Sandoz and Zydus. The Federal Circuit later upheld the decision in April 2023, securing a favorable outcome for Amgen.

Apart from the Amgen trial, Hansen also represented LEO Pharma in a patent defense against Glenmark Pharmaceuticals regarding generic versions of Enstilar foam, which is used to treat psoriasis. The case reached a settlement. Additionally, she co-led the team representing biopharmaceutical company UCB in a patent litigation battle against five generic drug companies seeking to produce generic versions of Briviact, a treatment for epilepsy. After a four-day bench trial in November 2022, the case entered the post-trial briefing phase.

Reflecting on the challenges faced during these complex litigations, Hansen highlighted the sudden shift to remote proceedings due to the pandemic. “In the Amgen matter, we were just about to start fact depositions when the pandemic hit. For attorneys who, up until then, were used to conducting every deposition and hearing in person, we very quickly had to learn how to conduct everything remotely,” Hansen said. “Not a single deposition, fact or expert in the Amgen matter was conducted in person. And, while we had hoped that our June 2021 trial would be in person, circumstances continued to dictate that the trial be held remotely. A remote trial required us to pivot quickly, as presentation styles that would work well in a courtroom were ill-suited to a remote trial. It also required a level of logistics management that far exceeded a normal trial. Luckily, we were able to achieve a successful result for our client Amgen, which has now been affirmed on appeal.”

Beyond her litigation work, Hansen actively engages in pro bono matters. She dedicated her time to defending attorneys’ fees for the Nature Conservancy, filed anti-SLAPP motions for the Center for Investigative Reporting, and supervised associates on various immigration cases. Moreover, she played a significant role in managing aspects of the firm’s cross-office patent litigation group, co-led the San Francisco office’s Women’s Forum and served as co-chair of the San Francisco office’s Summer Associate Program.

As she looked to the future, Hansen recognized the shifting landscape of the health care industry. “Small molecules have been the mainstay of many pharmaceutical companies’ product pipeline for centuries,” she said. “But, as more and more pharmaceutical companies begin to market biologics, and especially in light of the changes to drug reimbursement set out in the IRA, the scope of small molecule R & D will need to be reexamined.”