Five minutes with...Ypsita Demunshi
Ahead of her participation in an LSPN Connect session, In-house attorneys share day-to- day challenges and explore solutions on Thursday, November 5, Ypsita Demunshi, patent agent at Pendulum Therapeutics, shares insights on the issues facing patent practitioners amid COVID-19.
Tomorrow’s broadcast is a great opportunity for private practice attorneys to gain a better understanding of the ways they can assist in-house attorneys, as Demunshi will be considering how private practice can best serve Pendulum.
She will be joined by Benjamin Sodey, senior corporate patent counsel, Millipore Sigma, and Ryan Abbott, professor of Law and Health Sciences at the University of Surrey School of Law.
Questions are welcome and, on a broader note, audience interaction is encouraged as LSPN Connect seeks to address the question of the current patent system’s fitness for purpose in 2020—and the ways it could be improved.
WIPR: What are you looking forward to discussing on LSPN Connect?
Ypsita Demunshi: The challenges around fuelling the fire of innovation and research in-house, and how a small company with only slightly more than 60 people can work effectively during this COVID-19 situation, as well as exploring the challenges presented to patent applications by US Section 101.
What key developments do you see emerging in life sciences in the coming years?
Life sciences is seeing a paradigm shift in research as we come to discover more about our bodies and biology in general. I deal in the microbiome space in my current company, and I see a lot of interesting aspects and disorders that the microbiome space can solve.
In the coming five years, this area is set to boom as people are becoming weary and impatient of drugs that don't show results in chronic disorders but merely act as pacifiers.
What are the biggest challenges to patent practitioners amid the era of COVID-19?
Churning the wheel of innovation in the lab! Meeting productivity goals without compromising on the quality of patents in the quest to build a robust portfolio is also a challenge.
There can also be day-to-day friction with management when it comes to budgeting, especially during the era of COVID-19 when money is a huge and ongoing concern.
And of course, there are also challenges with patent offices around the world when it comes to filing applications; that is all part of a patent practitioner’s life.
Have you faced any barriers or challenges in your career?
I have faced many, both in terms of academic growth and professional growth. Challenges have characterised my road to success so far, and have actually incentivised my growth and survival. Getting into and through the George Washington University Law School (one that is ranked in top three in the US for IP) was itself a huge challenge!
More specifically, getting into a law school requires a lot of financial support and determination to get through it, given the neck-to-neck competition that you will encounter when applying to any well-reputed school.
As an immigrant, I have found there are social, cultural, academic differences between my country (India) and the US, and it takes a while to make a mark at a new country, among new people, and in a foreign setting. When it comes to professional growth, immigration rules have always made my life complex. Where I can work and I can't is often decided by the question "Do you now/in the near future require visa sponsorship to work for us?"
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow a similar career path?
Get the best guidance, be sincere, and have patience.
Patience is a virtue that helps in every dilemma. In the patent field, (depending on how happy or disgruntled the patent examiner is with you or your application!), you need patience when waiting for a filing to evolve into a grant.
Patience is also required when dealing with innovators at your company and helping them to understand why they should not publish their “interesting find” before the patent application is filed. You also need patience when trying to create a culture of innovation in a company's research team and to inspire them to think outside of the box when it comes to ensuring successful IP.
What is the best part of your job?
The smile in the faces and twinkle of appreciation in eyes of innovators and company managers when we get a case granted at the patent office; and the sense of achievement and confidence in myself when I win a fight.
Ypsita Demunshi is a patent agent at Pendulum Therapeutics where she manages its portfolio of patents worldwide and provides expertise in life sciences patent prosecution.
She can be contacted at ypsita.demunshi@pendulum.com
Today’s top stories
Nirvana should lose smiley face TM, claims Marc Jacobs
