John Adkisson Named "Healthcare/Life Sciences Trailblazer" by The National Law Journal

Fish & Richardson president-elect and CEO John Adkisson has been named a "Healthcare/Life Sciences Trailblazer" by The National Law Journal (NLJ) for his precedent-setting work in the emerging field of biosimilar litigation. Biosimilar drugs replicate already approved biological medicines and offer the promise of lowering drug costs in the U.S.

The NLJ highlighted Adkisson's win for client Samsung Bioepis in one of the most important biosimilar patent infringement cases in the country. The case was one of the first to be filed under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, which provides an abbreviated pathway for FDA approval of biosimilar products. The case involved the drug Renflexis®, Samsung Bioepis' biosimilar of the rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade®, sold by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen. Adkisson's winning result allowed Samsung Bioepis to launch Renflexis in the U.S. In October 2018, Merck (Samsung Bioepis' U.S. marketing partner) won a $117 million contract to exclusively supply Renflexis to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

"Biosimilars are an extremely important avenue for increasing access to lifesaving medications and lowering drug costs. I am honored to play a role in this cutting-edge area of law, and to be recognized for my work in this area," said Adkisson.

In addition to his groundbreaking work and robust biosimilars practice, Adkisson is responsible for the firm's strategic direction in his role as president-elect and CEO. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1996 and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Nebraska in 1993.