Standing The Test of Time: Important Considerations in Long-Term Partnering Transactions

Frank Curtis, Vice President-Law, Nektar Therapeutics, USA

In the integrated global economy that has emerged over the last two decades, companies in all industries require a network of partners to discover, develop, manufacture, market, sell, supply and distribute products to global markets. Long-term strategic partnerships with high levels of interdependence can be among the best opportunities for a company to leverage and exploit its core capabilities and assets. However, these partnerships also present substantial challenges that require the highest level of practical and insightful legal counsel to guide their design, negotiation and day-to-day administration.

Frank J. Curtis joined Nektar in September 2007 as Vice President-Law, Commercial & Regulatory. Prior to joining Nektar, he spent the previous 18 years as General Counsel of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its predecessor company, Berlex, Inc.(a subsidiary of Schering AG), where he was responsible for handling major transactions, including licensing transactions and acquisitions. Mr. Curtis received his J.D., cum laude, from the Seton Hall Law School, where he served as a member of the Editorial Board of the Seton Hall Law Review.

Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) is a leading biopharmaceutical company developing a robust pipeline of novel therapeutics based on its advanced polymer conjugate chemistry technology platform. Nektar also partners with many of the top biopharmaceutical companies to bring new products to market. To date, Nektar's technology and drug development expertise have enabled nine approved products for partners, including UCB's Cimzia(R) for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Roche's PEGASYS(R) for hepatitis C and Amgen's Neulasta(R) for neutropenia.