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Education
Duke University: J.D., magna cum laude, Duke Law Journal
Duke University: Ph.D. in Molecular Cancer Biology
Tsinghua University: B.S. in Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
Admissions
State of California
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Previous Experience
Jones Day
Brief Biography
Wanli focuses on biotechnology and biomedical sciences. She represents pharmaceutical and biotech companies of all sizes on the procurement and protection of intellectual property, and has extensive experiences in evaluating patent portfolios and conducting diligence investigations relating to licensing, financing, investment, merger and acquisition, formation of strategic alliance, and public-offering.
Wanli develops and manages global patent portfolios for her clients and coordinates strategies to meet clients' IP needs and business goals. She counsels on issues including ownership, patentability, validity, enforceability, infringement, and freedom-to-operate. She keeps abreast of biotechnology breakthroughs and has in-depth understanding of discoveries in fields including oncology, cancer immunology, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, neurological disorders, gene editing, precision medicine, and microbiome. She works daily with companies actively developing or implementing technologies involving antibodies, nucleic acids, immunomodulatory agents, peptides, fusion proteins, antibody-drug-conjugates, cell therapies, gene therapies, vaccines, diagnostics, bioinformatics and genomics. In addition to preparing and prosecuting patent applications throughout the world, she has also been involved in opposition and appeal proceedings in various jurisdictions.
Investment funds that Wanli has assisted include Sequoia Capital, Legend Capital, Yunfeng Capital, Shanghai Healthcare Capital, Co-Win Ventures, Yonghua Capital, Gaorong Capital, AstraZeneca-CICC Fund, Genesis Capital, Shiyu Capital, Bioinsight Ventures, etc. In addition to multinational companies such as AbbVie, Celgene, Tekada, Sanofi, Wanli has also served emerging biotech companies with a wide array of technologies, including Acepodia, Alphamab Biopharmaceuticals, Brise Pharmaceuticals, Burning Rock, CARsgen Therapeutics, Circode Biomed, Cure Genetics, Hanx Biopharmaceuticals, Heranova Lifesciences, Henlius Biotech, Hygieia Pharma, Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals, Innovent Biologics, LaNova Medicines, Neologics Bioscience, Real & Best Biotech, Sinomab Bioscience, Sironax, Synceptor, UTC Therapeutics, and Zhenge Biotech.
Wanli also represents clients in offensive and defensive post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including inter partes reviews (IPRs). FDA approved products for which Wanli has experiences include Humira® and Abraxane®.
Prior to practicing law, Wanli obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular Cancer Biology from Duke University within four years and was named Robert Fitzgerald Scholar.
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Investment-Related Diligence Investigations
● Represent AstraZeneca-China International Capital Corporation (AZ-CICC) Fund in an investment-related IP due
diligence investigation relating to gene sequencing technology.
● Represent Yunfeng Capital in a series of investment-related IP due diligence investigations relating to gene therapy,sequencing technology, and bispecific antibodies for neurodegenerative diseases.
● Represent Shanghai Healthcare Capital in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to achaperone-mediated protein degrader technology.
● Represent Co-Win Ventures in a series of investment-related IP due diligence investigations relating to cancertherapeutics, gene therapies for neurologic disorders, gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, engineered biologics,
and therapies targeting novel immune checkpoint inhibitors.
● Represent Legend Capital in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to antibody therapeutics.
● Represent Yonghua Capital in a series of investment-related IP due diligence investigations relating to biologic andchemical therapeutics for treating cancers, therapeutics for autoimmune diseases, and cell therapeutics.
● Represent Sequoia Capital in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to a novel gene editingtechnology.
● Represent Gaorong Capital in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to bispecific antibodiesfor neurodegenerative diseases.
● Represent Shiyu Capital in a series of investment-related IP due diligence investigations relating to cell therapies,novel diagnostics, and cancer therapies.
● Represent Genesis Capital in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to antibody-drugconjugates.
● Represent Apricot Capital in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to therapeutic antibodies.
● Represent 3E Bioventures Capital and ALAN AMC in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating tomedical cosmetology.
● Represent Shengdi Investment in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to single-domain
antibodies.
● Represent Bioinsight Ventures in an investment-related IP due diligence investigation relating to nucleic acid
technologies.
Global Patent Portfolio Development and Management
● Represent AbbVie Inc. in the management of a global patent portfolio relating to formulations for AbbVie's antibody
therapeutic Humira®, the world’s top-selling drug for the last several years with global sales of about $20 billion
in 2019.
● Represent Acepodia, Inc. in IP counseling relating to gamma delta T cells and antibody therapeutics.
● Represent Apsara Therapeutics, Inc. in the establishment of a global patent portfolio relating to aquaporin-4
(AQP4) antibodies for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica.
● Represent Astellas Pharma Inc. in the prosecution of a patent portfolio relating to its antibody-drug conjugate
technology, specifically, a clinic-stage product co-developed in collaboration with Seattle Genetics.
● Represent Brise Pharmaceuticals in transaction-related IP due diligence investigations relating to antibody
therapeutics.
● Represent CARsgen Therapeutic Co., Ltd. in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to CART cell
therapies.
● Represent Celgene Corporation in the management of a licensed global patent portfolio relating to cell therapies;
perform patent landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses on a variety of antibody therapeutics and cell therapies.
● Represent Circode Biomed Co. in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to circular RNA therapeutics.
● Represent Cure Genetics Co., Limited in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to
cell therapies and biologic therapies.
● Represent Fate Therapeutics, Inc. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to stem
cell therapeutics; assist with its investment-related due diligence investigations.
● Represent Fudan University in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to microbiome.
● Represent GeneVide Biotech Co., Ltd. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to
nucleic acid detection technologies.
● Represent Genomatica, Inc. in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to methods of producing
high-volume basic and intermediate chemicals from alternative feedstocks, such as sugars and cellulosic biomass,
using engineered microorganisms.
● Represent Hanx Biopharmaceuticals, (Wuhan) Ltd. in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to antibody
therapeutics and ADC therapeutics.
● Represent Heranova Lifesciences in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to diagnostics of
gynecological diseases and transaction-related IP due diligence investigations relating to the same.
● Represent Illumina, Inc. in a transaction-related IP due diligence investigation relating to a novel diagnostic.
● Represent Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals Limited in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to antibody
therapeutics.
● Represent Inova Diagnostics, Inc. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to
diagnostic assays for certain autoimmune diseases.
● Represent Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio
relating to fusion proteins and antibodies.
● Represent Kura Oncology, Inc. in development and management of patent portfolio relating to use of tipifarnib in
treatment of certain squamous cell head and neck cancer patients; conduct drug life cycle analysis; serve as IP
counsel in connection with its investment-related due diligence investigations.
● Represent LaNova Medicine in an IP due diligence investigation relating to antibody therapeutics.
● Represent Legend Biotech Corporation in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to cell therapies.
● Represent NeoLogics Bioscience Co. Ltd. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating
to antibody therapeutics and cell therapies.
● Represent NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to
novel protein therapeutics for diabetes and other metabolic disorders; conduct drug life cycle analysis; perform
patentability analyses, validity analyses, landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses on various related subject
matters; serve as IP counsel in connection with its initial public offering.
● Represent Nuance Biotech (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. in IP due diligence investigation relating to cancer vaccine.
● Represent OnQuality Pharmaceuticals LLC in IP counseling relating to treatment of chemotherapy-related
adverse events.
● Represent Sichuan Real&Best Biotech Co., Ltd. in the development of a global patent portfolio relating to gene
therapies.
● Represent Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. in IP due diligence investigation relating to antibody formulations.
● Represent Shanghai Hygieia Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in the development and management of a global patent
portfolio relating to siRNA therapeutics.
● Represent SinoMab BioScience Limited in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to
antibody therapeutics.
● Represent STCube, Inc. in the establishment of a global patent portfolio relating to immune-checkpoint inhibitors
for use in cancer therapies; perform patentability analyses and freedom-to-operate analyses on various related
subject matters.
● Represent Suzhou Puhe Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. in the development and management of a global
patent portfolio relating to cancer therapeutics.
● Represent Synceptor, Inc. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to antibody
therapeutics and fusion proteins.
● Represent UTC Therapeutics, Inc. in the development and management of a global patent portfolio and IP due
diligence investigations relating to cell therapies.
● Represent Zencore Corporation in the development and management of a global patent portfolio relating to
recombination protein production platforms.
● Represent Zensun (Shanghai) Sci & Tech Co., Ltd. in the management of a global patent portfolio relating to
a peptide therapeutic for cardiovascular diseases; conduct drug life cycle analysis; perform freedom-to-operate
analyses on various related subject matters.
Proceedings at Patent Trial and Appeal Board
● Represent AbbVie Inc. in successfully defending an inter partes review (IPR) petition against U.S. Patent
No. 9,114,166, and four separate IPR petitions against U.S. Patent No. 9,085,619, brought by
Coherus Biosciences, Inc. The patents are directed to formulations for AbbVie's antibody therapeutic Humira®.
● Represent Celgene Corporation in successfully defending an IPR petition filed by Actavis LLC against U.S. PatentNo. 8,853,260, which is directed to formulations for Celgene's chemotherapeutic drug Abraxane®.
● Represent Merial Inc. as the Petitioner for an inter partes review of all claims of U.S. Patent No. 8,829,038, which isowned by FidoPharm/Perrigo and claims certain formulations of the parasiticide fipronil for controlling fleas and
ticks on domestic animals. The PTAB granted the IPR petition with regard to all claims.
Wanli Tang
Partner
Co-Founder
