Head of IP at Heidelberg Pharma joins Fuchs Patentanwälte

Thomas Fischer will join the firm on 1 June, though not as a partner. At Heidelberg Pharma, Fischer is responsible for IP matters across both the listed parent company Heidelberg Pharma AG and its wholly-owned subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma Research GmbH. He is qualified as a German and European patent attorney, as well as a European trademark and design attorney. Fischer is also admitted as a UPC representative.

Fischer brings extensive in-house experience from various roles at pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Before joining Heidelberg Pharma in 2020 he previously worked as an in-house patent attorney for BoehringerIngelheim and Merck.

His technical focus lies on antibody-drug conjugates and antibody technologies — areas of growing strategic importance in oncology drug development.

“I bring deep, hands-on expertise in antibody-drug conjugates and antibody technologies, honed through years of in-house experience across the industry,” Fischer says. He plans to leverage this knowledge for Fuchs’ clients across the pharma, life sciences, and biotech sectors.

Building out pharma and biotech

Fischer joins the firm as its 13th patent attorney. Last year, the firm expanded its team with the addition of two younger patent attorneys. Three of the firm’s current twelve patent attorneys are partners. Fischer will join the well known pharma and biotech team led by partner Markus Rieck.

Fuchs Patentanwälte has handled EPO opposition work for clients including Advanz Pharma Services and Compugen. It recently also represented Puren Pharma in an SPC dispute against Newron over Parkinson’s drug Xadago.

Patent filing and opposition work for clients such as ALD Vacuum Technologies, Schott and Imi Fabi rounds out the practice. The firm also files for biotech and pharma clients including Brain Biotech, Hennig Arzneimittel, Immedica, and JeNaCell.

Markus Rieck signals that the hire is part of a broader expansion strategy. “Given our strong focus on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology and our growing business in this sector, we are delighted to be strengthening our expertise in the life sciences with such an outstanding colleague,” he says, adding that the firm is “planning further growth”.