Dr. Joseph W. Arico

Joseph focuses on patent prosecution and counseling in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. He counsels companies from startup through post-approval stages in developing robust patent portfolios and exclusivity positions. This includes drafting and prosecuting US and international patent applications, conducting freedom-to-operate, patentability, validity and infringement analyses, and performing intellectual property (IP) due diligence in connection with investment, in-licensing and acquisition opportunities.

Joseph draws on his 20+ years of postgraduate chemistry and pharmaceutical patent law experience to help clients across the spectrum of pharmaceutical innovation. His background includes novel small molecules, heterobifunctional molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, antibody-drug conjugates, prodrugs, rescued and repurposed drugs, methods of treating diseases, polymorphs, salt forms and cocrystals, formulations, clinical-stage patient populations and dosing, pharmacokinetics, active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing methods, and medical devices. Joseph routinely advises clients on various aspects of pharmaceutical life cycle management, such as loss of exclusivity (LOE) analyses, Orange Book listing, Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) and Patent Term Extension (PTE).

Before becoming an attorney, Joseph was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Notre Dame, where his research included the total synthesis of Tolypothrix polyethers and analogs of neopeltolide and epothilone natural products. Joseph earned his PhD at Boston College, where he synthesized and studied 3-deazapurine nucleoside analogs and developed glycosylation methodologies.

Joseph’s representative matters include:

• Patent prosecution and Orange Book patent strategy matters related to Tazverik (tazemetostat) for Ipsen Bioscience*
• Patent prosecution and IP diligence for Nimbus Therapeutics, including the sale of Zasocitinib (TAK-279), formerly NDI-034858, its small molecule TKY2 inhibitor, to Takeda for $6 billion in cash and commercial milestone payments*
• Patent prosecution and counseling, Orange Book listing, and PTE application filings for X4 Pharmaceuticals related to its CXCR4 inhibitor, mavorixafor (X4P-001), approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2024 for orphan disease WHIM (warts, hypogammaglobulienemia, infections and myelokathexis) syndrome*
• Patent and regulatory LOE analysis for Royalty Pharma in relation to its $827 million acquisition of Ligand Pharmaceuticals’ royalties on sales of Promacta (eltrombopag)*
• Patent and regulatory LOE analysis for Royalty Pharmain relation to its $350 million synthetic royalty funding agreement with Syndax based on US net sales of Niktimvo (axatilimab-csfr)*
• US patent prosecution and counseling to Pharnext relating to PXT3003, a combination of three known small-molecule drugs that progressed to Phase 3 clinical trials for a rare genetic disease*

* Representation handled prior to joining Cooley

Joseph was recognized in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Pro Bono High Honor Roll and Honor Roll in 2020 and 2024 for completing at least 100 hours of pro bono service.