Workshop Intellectual Property for Drug Repurposing (hybrid)

Intellectual Property for Drug Repurposing

Drug repurposing offers major opportunities to accelerate the development of new treatments, particularly for rare diseases. Intellectual property (IP) can play an important role in determining whether repurposed therapies can be developed in a socially responsible way and ultimately reach patients.

This workshop is organised by RARE-NL in collaboration with the Netherlands Patent Office (part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs). The session provides a practical introduction to intellectual property in the context of drug repurposing and socially responsible development of medicines.

What you will learn and what to expect

This interactive workshop provides a practical introduction to intellectual property and its role in drug repurposing. Participants will gain insight into:

• The basic principles of intellectual property and patent protection relevant to drug repurposing
• How IP and regulatory exclusivities influence development strategies and patient access
• How second medical use patents and other protection strategies are applied in repurposing
• How to search and interpret patent information using publicly available databases
• How IP can be used strategically to support responsible development, collaborations and follow-up funding

The session includes practical examples, case discussions and opportunities to ask project-specific questions. Part of the workshop will be hands-on; participants attending on site are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet, as working with patent databases is not suitable on a smartphone. No prior IP experience is required.

Why RARE-NL organises this workshop

RARE-NL supports researchers and other project teams who aim to translate academic and clinical repurposing research into real-world patient access under socially responsible terms. Within drug repurposing, intellectual property is often approached mainly from a legal or commercial perspective. However, IP can also be used as a strategic tool to support responsible development, enable sustainable licensing approaches and improve long-term accessibility of therapies for patients.

Understanding IP early in a development trajectory helps projects make informed choices, position themselves more strongly for collaborations and follow-up funding, and ultimately unlock the full potential of drug repurposing.

Practical information

Date: 14 April 2026
Speaker: Dr. Britta Helwig, Adviseur Intellectueel Eigendom | Onderzoek & Valorisatie (Netherlands Patent Office)
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Format: Hybrid (on site at Radboudumc and online participation possible)
Location (on site): Radboudumc Experience Center, M260.-1.102, Waalbrug A, route 7

Register here: Registration for Workshop Intellectual Property for Drug Repurposing – RARE-NL