MRC Technology Appoints Technology Transfer Director

Andrew Farquharson has been appointed Director of Technology Transfer at MRC Technology (MRCT) from 1 September. He will head up the team responsible for identifying, protecting and progressing promising life science research to improve human health.

Andrew has previously held senior Intellectual Property (IP) roles in AstraZeneca UK and USA, supporting the company’s R&D, Business Development and Government Affairs activities.Currently Andrew runs a consultancy practice, providing IP services to a range of life science and pharmaceutical clients and is appointed to the EU Commission’s Expert Group advising on the European Biotech Directive’s impact on patent law and research & development activity.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr Dave Tapolczay, Chief Executive Officer, MRC Technology said: “Andrew’s extensive experience will support our charity’s work to ensure innovative life science research reaches its full potential and benefit a wider range of people. We look forward to having him on board!”

Andrew Farquharson responded MRC Technology has a peerless reputation for the development and exploitation of innovative medical research. I am greatly looking forward to joining the MRCT team and using my experience to meet the challenges in ensuring that future innovations are protected and translated into meaningful new therapeutic products made available to patients.”

 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

 

Further enquiries

 

Katie Odgaard

Zyme Communications

E: katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com

T: +44 (0)7787 502 947

 

Liezel Tipper

PR and Communications Manager,MRC Technology.

E: liezel.tipper@tech.mrc.ac.uk

T: +44(0) 20 7391 2772

 

About Andrew Farquharson

Andrew Farquharson is aEuropean Patent Attorney and holds an MSc Management of Intellectual PropertyLaw from the University of London and a BSc (Hons) Molecular Genetics from theUniversity of Glasgow.

 

Andrews’s previousappointments include:

 

Director, Ginger IPConsulting Ltd.

August 2012 – Present

Senior Patent Director,Biologics and Director External IP Affairs, AstraZeneca

2008 – July 2012, London,United Kingdom

 

Head of Biotechnology Patents,AstraZeneca

2002 – 2008 London, UnitedKingdom

 

Senior Patent Attorney,Neuroscience, AstraZeneca United States

2000 – 2002, Wilmington,Delaware

 

Patent Attorney, Astra UKLtd.

1996 – 2000, London, UnitedKingdom

 

Patent Associate, D. Young& Co,

1993 – 1995, London, UnitedKingdom

 

Associate, Patents andAgreements, The Wellcome Foundation Ltd

1989 – 1993, London, UnitedKingdom

 

About MRC Technology

MRC Technology (www.mrctechnology.org) is an independent life science medical research charity, offering professional services to organisations within the academic, charity, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors globally. Services include IP management and research and development for diagnostics, small molecules and therapeutic antibodies. MRC Technology bridges the gap between basic medical research and commercialisation, helping early discoveries progress to clinical application. Four of MRC Technology’s projects have led to approved drugs (Tysabri®,Actemra®, Entyvio®, Keytruda®) and the company has a strong pipeline in development.

Please note MRC Technology has been independent from the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) since 2000.