LSIPR 50 2017: Marcus Dalton
Name: Marcus Dalton
Position: Vice president, global head, patents, GSK Biologicals
Company: GSK
“Marcus Dalton has done a huge amount historically to bring some consistency to the European Patent Office prosecution of vaccines which is historically the most litigated area,” according to Jason Rutt, patent attorney at law firm Boult Wade Tennant.
Dalton works as the vice president, global head of patents in the biological division at GSK. He has worked at the company since 2001.
Rutt adds that Dalton oversees the Novartis vaccine portfolio and was involved in a High court decision in May last year: Pfizer v GSK.
GSK had asked for a revocation and a declaration of non-infringement of Pfizer’s European patent number 2,343,308.
The patent covers Bexsero (Neisseria meningitidis B), a vaccine product.
Pfizer counterclaimed for infringement.
Mr Justice Henry Carr rejected all challenges of invalidity to the patent and ruled that several claims were infringed.
In 2015, GSK announced that it had received clearance from the European Commission for the company’s proposed three-part transaction with Novartis. It was the culmination of more than a year of negotiations between the two companies.
Part of this transaction included GSK’s acquisition of Novartis’ vaccine business, including its influenza vaccines. The other two parts of the deal were a healthcare joint venture and the divestment to Novartis of GSK’s marketed oncology portfolio.
"Completion of this transaction represents a major step forward in the group’s strategy."
GSK agreed to sell Novartis its meningitis vaccines, Nimenrix and Mencevax, on a global basis. These vaccines are marketed outside of the US and generated annual global sales of £34 million ($41.3) in 2014.
GSK also divested two small Novartis bivalent vaccines for protection against diphtheria and tetanus in Italy and Germany. The transaction was completed on January, 28 2015.
Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, said at the time: “Completion of this transaction represents a major step forward in the group’s strategy to create a stronger and more balanced set of businesses across pharmaceuticals, consumer healthcare and vaccines.”
