Background

Andrew Loh is a partner at our Vancouver office and is the Regional Leader of our Biotech and Pharmaceutical practice group and our Health Care Institutions and Services practice group. He is listed as among the world's leading practitioners in The International Who's Who of Life Sciences Lawyers 2008. Andrew advises pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and bioinformatics companies as well as importers, distributors, clinical trial companies, research institutions and hospitals on commercialization of medical technology and health regulatory compliance matters.

Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology in 1985 and law degrees from Ontario and Michigan in 1995. He was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1996.

Prior to practising law, Andrew worked in the microbiology department of a private laboratory in Vancouver before moving to Toronto in 1987. In Toronto, he worked as the Coordinator of Development and Systems Supervisor of the fundraising office of the Toronto Hospital . He then joined a private software company where he designed, developed and provided training and technical support for a fundraising software used by fundraising organizations worldwide. Andrew was later recruited to work in the Research Computing Department of the Toronto Hospital where he developed clinical database software for medical researchers in Radiology, Gynaecology and Pathology, as well as inventory and cost management software for the O.R. and Pharmacy departments of the Hospital.

Areas of Practice

• Biotech and Pharmaceutical
• Health Care Institutions and Services
• Information Technology
• Intellectual Property and Technology

Professional Experience

Illustrative examples of transaction experience include:

• Provides intellectual property protection and commercialization advice to pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and bioinformatics companies and universities, research institutions, hospitals and contract research organizations.
• Negotiates and drafts agreements for the transfer of biological material transfer, the supply of pharmaceutical agents, the conduct of feasibility studies and analytical services, the licence of intellectual property, the commercialization of hospital clinical databases, the conduct of clinical trials (Phase I to IV), the development of bioinformatics platform, inter-institutional research collaborations, and strategic alliance between life science companies and corporate partners.
• Advises local and foreign manufacturers and distributors on health product market launches and regulatory compliance matters.
• Advises hospitals and research institutions on informed consent and the consenting process in caring for patients and research subjects.
• Prepared agreements regarding the treatment, care, support, residential and ancillary services provided by a drug and alcohol treatment centre.
• Prepared laboratory services agreements for a major private laboratory regarding the electronic delivery of laboratory results to hospitals and to physicians in private practice.
• Assists underwriters and venture capital firms with intellectual property due diligence investigations of life sciences and information technology companies.
• Assists governmental entities and other public bodies in the negotiation and preparation of agreements for the outsourcing of software and information technology platforms.
• Provides software companies with advice on software license and support agreements.

Professional and Community Activities

Memberships and Associations:

• Member, Monte Jade Science and Technology ( Western Canada )
• Member, Association of University Technology Managers
• Member, LifeSciences B.C.
• Member, B.C. Medical Technology Industry Association
• Member, Licensing Executives Society
• Member, Canadian Bar (Health, Computer and Business Sections)

Publications and Speaking Engagements:

• Author, Drugs chapter of Canadian Food and Drug Legislation & Commentary, LexisNexis, 2008
• Author, The Progressive Licensing Project and Upcoming Changes for Drug Manufacturers, Pharma & BioPharma Industry Canada, Contact Canada, 2008
• Author, Project 1539 and Increased Flexibility in Labelling and Advertising Health Claims, Natural Health Products Canada, Contact Canada, 2008
• Author, Technology Transfer Agreements, Commercialization Guidebook of BC Medical Device Industry Association, Spring 2002.
• Co-Author, Intellectual Property Protection, Commercialization Guidebook of BC Medical Device Industry Association, Spring 2002.
• Author, Analysis on Research & Development Contracts in Canada, Intellectual Property and New Technologies Commission of the Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocates, Luxembourg 2001 Congress.
• Author, Can You Keep a Secret?, Biotechnology in BC 2000 by BC Biotechnology Alliance .
• Co-Author, Employee Innovation: Corporate Rights or Regrets, Federated Press, 1998.
• Speaker of a number of presentations, including "Protection of Intellectual Property", "Institutional Intellectual Property Policies and Their Implications at the Institution/Industry Interface", "Health Issues and Ethics: Who Owns Research Results?", Legal Due Diligence", "License Agreements", "Food and Drug Act: Medical Devices and Drugs", "Negotiating the Clinical Trial Agreements on Your Terms", and "International Distribution Agreements".