Passionate about the biotechnology industry (particularly the biomedical research sector) Dr. Andrew Clarke heads James & Wells’ biotechnology team in Australia. Andrew has an impressive track record of managing and prosecuting worldwide portfolios for universities, large research organisations, ASX-listed companies, and start-ups. Andrew specialises in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in a diverse array of biotech fields including biological therapeutics (including cell, peptide and nucleic acid), antibody development, microbiome technologies, gene therapy, diagnostics and biomarkers, and next-generation drug modalities.

Outside the office Andrew spends most of his time pounding pavements across Queensland as an endurance runner. He is a regular winner of the Australian IPTA Conference race, and a keen participant of the AIPPI World Congress Running Group. He was a member of the British Olympic Fencing Team and a previous British number one.

Consistently recommended since 2017 by the prestigious IAM Patent 1000 for patent prosecution in Australia, Andrew has significant experience developing cutting-edge biotechnology to best position IP portfolios for partnering and/or investment. Andrew’s unique experience working closely with his clients to defend their patent positions has given him a detailed understanding into how licensees/acquirers assess and utilize patent portfolios in developing the technology to the clinic.

Andrew has an impressive track record in opposition proceedings in Australia, acting on behalf of some of Australia’s largest research organisations.

Andrew’s PhD investigated the recognition of self-antigens by a host with a view to developing improved treatments for autoimmune diseases and cancer. His research was published in top tier journals including ‘Nature’ and ‘Immunity’.

As well as having a deep interest in the technical subject matter, Andrew is also a renowned thought leader in the application of Australian patent law to biotechnology. In this regard, he is the Australian representative on the AIPPI (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property) Standing Committee for Biotechnology, and is regularly involved in drafting detailed reports for consultation within this group.

Andrew is the former Director and Co-Founder of boutique Australian intellectual property firm Innofy – a firm acquired by James & Wells in 2019. Prior to Innofy, Andrew worked for Davies Collison Cave.

Andrew regularly lectures postgraduate students studying biotechnology at The University of Queensland on various aspects of Australian and International Patent Law.

• Immunology, including cancer immunotherapies
• Biological therapeutics
• Antibody therapies
• Adoptive cell therapy
• Microbiome
• Gene therapy
• Regenerative medicine
• Diagnostics and biomarkers
• Platform technologies
• Next-generation drug modalities