By
Donald Zuhn —

Sherry
Knowles, Senior Vice President, Global Patents for GlaxoSmithKline has
announced that she will be leaving GSK in June to start a consulting firm that
will focus on IP management, business development, and monetizing assets in the
area of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and medical devices.  Ms. Knowles (at right), who has led Global Patents
at GSK since 2006, played a significant role in the successful challenge to the
claims and continuation rules published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
in August of 2007, helping to secure a preliminary injunction enjoining the
rules on Halloween in 2007, which injunction was made permanent by the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on April 1, 2008.  Last fall, the USPTO finally rescinded
the controversial rules package before the Federal Circuit was to rehear GSK's
and Dr. Tafas' appeal en banc.  Ms. Knowles has also been centrally
involved in developing GSK's Knowledge Pool for the treatment of neglected
tropical diseases in least developed countries.

Managing
IP Magazine named Ms. Knowles one of the ten most influential people in
Intellectual Property in 2008, and earlier this year, the New Jersey
Intellectual Property Lawyers Association awarded Ms. Knowles, as the representative
of GSK, the Jefferson Medal for exceptional contribution to Intellectual
Property.  In February, Ms. Knowles
published an article in the journal Science
on "Fixing the Legal Framework for Pharmaceutical Research" (see "Takings'
by Congress and the Courts").

Commenting
on her upcoming move, Ms. Knowles told Patent
Docs that she has thoroughly enjoyed her tenure at GSK and has been "very
impressed with the caliber and devotion of the GSK staff in creating and
protecting the market for new medicines."  She said she plans to continue her "strong support for
the innovator community to help create an environment that fosters and protects
investment."  Ms. Knowles
noted that she will continue to lead Global Patents until June, and will
continue to consult with GSK, subject to availability and the company's needs, after
she departs.

For
additional information regarding this and other related topics, please see:

•
"'Takings' by Congress and the Courts," April 1, 2010
•
"GSK Announces 'Open Innovation' Strategy to Combat Neglected
Tropical Diseases," February 3, 2010
•
"Alnylam to Donate RNAi Patents to Patent Pool," August 10, 2009
•
"'New Rules' Officially Rescinded," October 8, 2009
•
"Managing Intellectual Property Releases MIP 50," July 28, 2008
•
"No April Fool's Joke — Tafas and GSK Win on Summary Judgment,"
April 1, 2008
•
"GSK Secures Injunction," October 31, 2007