Background

Andrew Loh is a partner at our Vancouver office and is the Regional Leader of the firm's Life Sciences and Health Sector Services practice groups. Andrew advises pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and bioinformatics companies as well as importers, distributors, clinical trial companies, research institutions and teaching hospitals. He advises on research collaborations, intellectual property commercialization, clinical trials, manufacture, importation, marketing, supply and distribution of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, natural health products and cosmetics, inspections and audits of regulatory agencies, and medical product and establishment licences. He is an author of the “Canadian Food and Drug Legislation & Commentary” published by LexisNexis.

Prior to practicing law, Andrew worked in microbiology as well as developed clinical and software databases for the Research Computing department of the Toronto Hospital.

Andrew has a science degree in Microbiology and law degrees in Michigan and Ontario and is called to the bars in Ontario and British Columbia.

Areas of Practice

• Life Sciences
• Health Sector 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, teaching hospitals and contract research organizations.
• Prepares agreements for the transfer of biological material transfer, the supply and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the conduct of feasibility studies and analytical services, the licence of intellectual property, the development of bioinformatics platform, inter-institutional research collaborations, and strategic alliance between life science companies and corporate partners.
• Prepares agreements for the conduct of pharmaceutical and investigational device trials, including the structuring of multi-national trials in Canada, U.S., Europe and Japan with pharmaceutical and device products at various stages of market approvals.
• Advises on regulatory classification of health products (including at first and second level appeals of the Therapeutics Products Directorate of Health Canada ) and product pre-approval and post-approval stages.
• Advises local and foreign manufacturers and distributors on product market launches.
• Reviews and advises manufacturers and distributors on product labeling and packaging, marketing brochures and related materials.
• Advises manufacturers, importers and distributors on inspections and audits by regulatory agencies and in complaint handling and reporting and product recall matters.
• Advises on health product licence transfers in mergers and acquisitions transactions.
• Provides software companies with advice on software development, license and support agreements.

Professional and Community Activities

Memberships and Associations

• Member, LifeSciences B.C.
• 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, 2010
• 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", "International Distribution Agreements" and “Drug Approval, Pricing, Marketing and Sale in Canada”.