COVID-19 Partnerships Without Formal Contracts Pose Risks, From Potential Liability To IP Issues

Companies are racing to co-develop coronavirus treatments before finalizing deal teams. These team-ups raise questions about what happens after the pandemic subsides.

Covid-19 collaboration
Companies are launching COVID-19 collaborations before signing a final contract

Biopharma companies are jumping into partnerships to develop COVID-19 treatments before signing a formal agreement so they can begin research immediately. Attorneys say these deals require caution to address issues that may arise, from liability and intellectual property matters to government funding.

On 2 April, for example, Amgen Inc. and Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. announced their collaboration to discover and develop antibodies from recovered patients to prevent or treat COVID-19. They...

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