Peter Rankin, Vice President, CRA International, Inc., to Speak at The Knowledge Group’s Patent Settlement Agreements: Impact on Antitrust Enforcement Demystified Event

New York, NY, December 30, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced today that Peter J. Rankin, Vice President, CRA International, Inc., will speak at the Knowledge Group’s webcast entitled: “Patent Settlement Agreements: Impact on Antitrust Enforcement Demystified Live Webcast.” This event is scheduled for April 8, 2016 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (ET)

For further details, please visit:
https://theknowledgegroup.org/event-homepage/?event_id=1487

About Peter J. Rankin
Dr. Peter J. Rankin is a Vice President in the Life Sciences Practice at Charles River Associates (“CRA”). Specializing in economic and strategic evaluation, his pharmaceutical research includes assessment of patent extension antitrust claims, class certification analysis, monetary damages from commercial and intellectual property disputes, international arbitration involving contract disputes, evaluation of blood/plasma market dynamics, product line valuation, and product reimbursement strategies. In addition, Dr. Rankin has authored public and proprietary policy evaluation projects involving healthcare reform, reimbursement methodologies, antitrust exemptions, research and development incentives, and research productivity. Dr. Rankin has served as an expert in litigation and arbitration, and has testified before Congress.

While at CRA, Dr. Rankin has participated as a non-testifying expert on a number of engagements involving allegations of “pay-for-delay” patent settlements, including those involving ciprofloxacin, esomeprazole, and modafinil, among others.

About CRA International, Inc.
Charles River Associates is a leading global consulting firm that offers economic, financial, and strategy expertise to major law firms, corporations, accounting firms, and governments around the world.

With proven skills in complex cases and exceptional strength in analytics, CRA consultants have provided astute guidance to clients in thousands of successful engagements. We offer litigation and regulatory support, business strategy and planning, market and demand forecasting, policy analysis, and risk management consulting.

CRA's 50-plus years of accomplishments on behalf of our clients is a reflection of the firm's exceptional talent. Many of our consultants are recognized as experts in their respective fields; our close relationships with a select group of respected academic and industry experts; and from a corporate philosophy that stresses interdisciplinary collaboration and responsive service.

Headquartered in Boston, the firm has offices internationally.

Event Synopsis:
Patents have always been active in its ever-increasing role in the competitive strategies of firms in many industries, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. Settlements of patent litigation have become numerous and recognized on many accounts and have become influential in the familiar tension between antitrust and intellectual property laws. For example, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in recent years has redirected its efforts on the interplay between the patent system and the antitrust law. As a matter of fact, it recently reached an agreement and consent orders with Concordia Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., which remain subject to final approval, settling FTC’s allegations that these pharmaceuticals entered into an unlawful agreement not to compete related to generic versions of the ADHD prescription drug, Kapvay.

Under the terms, Concordia will forego any right to payment under its license agreement with Par. The latter will also be barred from enforcing the terms of the license agreement, including the provision by which Concordia agreed not to market an authorized generic version of Kapvay. In fact, after learning about the FTC’s investigation, Concordia released an authorized version of Kapvay in December of 2014. The consent orders also bar the pharmaceuticals from entering into similar agreements in the future and require them to provide notice to the FTC before entering into agreements on authorized generic products for twenty years. The consent orders opt to promote competition in the market to lower prices for consumers. Generic pharmaceuticals, manufacturers, and marketers of brand name should always be cautious against antitrust implications of patent-related agreements with effect of limiting competition.

In this two-hour live webcast, a panel of key thought leaders and practitioners assembled by the Knowledge Group will discuss the potential implications of Patent Settlement Agreements and will provide a roadmap to avoiding costly government investigations and antitrust lawsuits.

Key topics include:
- Patent Settlement Agreements – An Overview
- Recent FTC Cases
- Antitrust Laws
- Common Antitrust Violations
- Developing Corporate Compliance Programs
- Pre-litigation Settlement and Consent Orders
- Possible Lawsuits
- Consequences of Increased Fines and More Trials
- Best Compliance Practices and Antitrust Enforcement Strategies

About The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series
The Knowledge Group was established with the mission to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webinars that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format. To contact or register for an event, please visit: http://theknowledgegroup.org/