Intellectual Property and information on Intellectual Property Rights management of Japanese pharmaceutical companies in M&A

It is important for a pharmaceutical company after a Merger and Acquisition (M&A) to intentionally manage the Intellectual Property (IP) and information on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) of the two companies involved in the M&A. We examined IP management in two cases of M&A of Japanese pharmaceutical companies using IP management indices including the proportion of patent applications for which a request for examination are filed. Also, we interviewed the IP management departments of pharmaceutical companies regarding IP and IPR information management. As a result, it was demonstrated that, in the cases of M&A of two new-drug companies 1) The ways of managing IP protection of the companies before M&A are different with each other or similar in each IP management indices. 2) The ways of managing information on IPR in the new-drug companies before M&A could be blended with little difficulties because of their similarity with one another.