Industries
Health

Healthcare innovation is advancing at an unprecedented pace, from breakthrough cancer treatments to personalised medicine. With these advancements come significant challenges: long development timelines, high costs and complex patent landscapes. We help clients navigate these hurdles, securing the intellectual property that powers life-changing solutions. Whether it’s patenting cutting-edge therapies or ensuring access to breakthrough treatments, our expertise brings these healthcare innovations to market.
Trusted by leading business
We’re proud to work alongside some of the most innovative names in health, from originators to generics, startups and beyond.




Protecting your innovation
We help companies, researchers and scientists in the health industry protect innovations and intellectual property rights.
Identifying patentable innovations
Guiding clients through the patent landscape to find the best protection strategy for their innovations. Whether you’re an originator, generic, startup or established name, our expertise helps identify which innovations to protect and how to safeguard them.
Addressing infringement issues
Navigating potential patent violations in the evolving health industry. Our legal and technical expertise helps prevent misuse, taking action to resolve infringements while also ensuring your business avoids infringing on existing patents.
Driving strategic patent monitoring
Implementing tailored patent strategies and leveraging government-backed schemes like WBSO and innovation box to reduce tax on R&D projects. Long term, we ensure compliance with regulatory changes so clients can adapt to shifts in the market.
Managing formalities and enforcing rights
Drafting detailed patent applications and defining invention claims for maximum protection. Our team manages the formalities across jurisdictions, ensuring compliance with national and international regulations to safeguard IP rights.
Health under pressure:
issues shaping the future

The price of progress: funding for startups
Developing new medicines, especially innovative treatments like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and personalised medicine, requires extensive funding. Clinical trials are essential for approval but are particularly expensive. Startups often struggle with securing enough investment to support the long development cycles.
The patent puzzle behind 20-year drug timelines
Developing a new medicine takes an average of 20 years, a marathon marked by long timelines and complex patent hurdles. Pharmaceutical companies must adopt strategic patent filing and often secure multiple patents at different stages of development to ensure protection.
The rise of complex biological therapies
The health industry is evolving from relying on small-molecule drugs to advanced biological therapies, including antibodies, RNA-based treatments and personalised medicine. While these advancements hold great promise, they also bring technical and manufacturing challenges with achieving selectivity and efficacy while minimising treatment resistance.
Balancing innovation and accessibility
The cost of developing innovative treatments often leads to expensive medicines, sparking debates over pricing and the role of intellectual property in healthcare. Patents are crucial for protecting innovations, helping companies recover investments and encouraging more research. Startups also struggle to balance sharing innovations while protecting their rights.
Working alongside an entire industry
Our attorneys are engaged across the entire energy sector, supporting a wide range of clients. Here’s a glimpse into the innovations we’re working on, with projects spanning several areas.
Cutting-edge cancer therapies
-
Developing antibodies that target specific mechanisms to prevent cancer cells from attacking the immune system
-
Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development, including treatments that combine biological antibodies with chemical drugs to target and treat cancer
IP support for big pharma
-
Securing SPCs to extend patent protection for pharmaceutical products and mitigate the effects of lengthy clinical trials
-
Developing comprehensive patent strategies, filing patents for drug compounds, formulations and delivery mechanisms to ensure long-term protection
Targeted treatment delivery systems
-
Novel delivery mechanisms using nanoparticles to enhance the effectiveness of treatments
-
Therapies and diagnostics that use microRNA technologies for targeted treatment and disease detection
Advances in microbiome and nutrition-based therapies
-
Gut microbiome modifications that prevent or treat diseases such as type 2 diabetes, connecting health and nutrition
-
Development into individual dietary needs that can be tailored based on microbiome data to prevent disease
SUCCESS STORY
Breakthrough in diabetes treatment: Caelus Health
Growing trust: why customers choose us
"With EP&C’s support, we can protect and secure groundbreaking technologies for broad application. A valuable partnership for our journey towards impact."

Utrecht Holdings
"We are particularly pleased with the prompt communication and the creative thinking in both ordinary and less ordinary matters."

Luc Sterkman
Caelus Health
“Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam highly values its collaboration with EP&C. Their expertise and support have been important in protecting our research findings and create societal impact."

Jan van de Loosdrecht
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Health patent protectors
Our attorneys work with clients across a range of health industry categories, including originators, generics and the world’s most innovative health technology companies. We ensure your innovations are not only protected but positioned for success.
Sarah Carter
Trainee Patent Attorney
Sarah Carter
Sarah combines biophysics expertise and passion for life sciences to secure IP.

Robbert-Jan de Lang
Partner
Dutch & European Patent Attorney
Robbert-Jan de Lang
Robbert-Jan uses his deep tech knowledge and business sense for practical, results-driven solutions.

Valeria De Matteis
European Patent Attorney
Valeria De Matteis
Valeria is driven by curiosity and believes innovation is essential for societal progress.

Mark Jolink
Associate Partner
Dutch & European Patent Attorney
Mark Jolink
Mark uncovers the core of innovations and creatively protects them, empowering inventors to make an impact.

Michiel Croes
Dutch Patent Attorney
Michiel Croes
Michiel not only puts himself in the shoes of a biologist or technician, but also of an inventor.

Gerrie Hoogendam
Partner
Dutch & European Patent Attorney
Gerrie Hoogendam
Gerrie enjoys explaining IP strategies clearly, helping clients succeed, which keeps her energized in her work.

Daphne Huberts
Dutch & European Patent Attorney
Daphne Huberts
Daphne loves the unique combination of science, patent law, and strategy her role offers.
