Patent Agent, Intellectual Property

Protagonist Therapeutics is seeking a patent agent or scientific advisor to join the Intellectual Property practice of our legal team. The successful candidate will be responsible for invention capture and patentability assessment, patent drafting and prosecution, assistance in the management of outside counsel, assistance on IP-related legal agreements, and diligence. This role will report to the Vice President of Intellectual Property. The role requires onsite presence four days a week at HQ in Newark, California.

Expectations

• Foster a collaborative culture interacting with our scientists to understand and monitor the development of key inventions.
• You will investigate the relevant state of the art to assess the patentability and to devise a drafting strategy for inventions.
• You will be expected to draft or co-draft key patent applications with outside counsel.
• You will work with outside counsel for preparing patent filings and to manage active prosecution, both domestic and international.
• You will also assist on IP-related agreements, including confidentiality, joint research, and license agreements.
• Assist in maintaining databases and spreadsheets relating to the IP portfolio.
• Assist in trademark portfolio management.
  
  
  

Experience/Qualifications

• PhD in Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, or similar field, or an MS in organic chemistry with a strong background in molecular biology.
• Two to four years of experience working as a patent agent or scientific advisor (pre-patent bar registration) with a law firm and/or inhouse legal group.
• Candidates should either have already passed the patent bar (patent agent) or is willing to take and pass the patent bar after joining the company (scientific advisor).
• Organized, calm, and positive approach under deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. A writing sample will be requested.
• Independent, curious, and proactive learner – not afraid to dive-into and learn new technologies and to grow your expertise in patent law.
  
  
  

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $150K and 175K / year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Protagonist Therapeutics is a discovery through late-stage development biopharmaceutical company. Two novel peptides, icotrokinra and rusfertide, derived from Protagonist's proprietary discovery platform are currently in advanced Phase 3 clinical development, with New Drug Application submissions to the FDA expected in 2025. Icotrokinra (JNJ-2113) is a first-in-class investigational targeted oral peptide that selectively blocks the Interleukin-23 receptor ("IL-23R") which is licensed to Janssen Biotech, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company. Following icotrokinra's joint discovery by Protagonist and Johnson & Johnson scientists pursuant to the companies' IL-23R collaboration, Protagonist was primarily responsible for development of icotrokinra through Phase 1, with Johnson & Johnson assuming responsibility for development in Phase 2 and beyond. Rusfertide, a mimetic of the natural hormone hepcidin, is currently in Phase 3 development for the rare blood disorder polycythemia vera (PV). Rusfertide is being co-developed and will be co-commercialized with Takeda Pharmaceuticals pursuant to a worldwide collaboration and license agreement entered into in 2024 under which the Company remains primarily responsible for development through NDA filing. The Company also has a number of pre-clinical stage oral drug discovery programs addressing clinically and commercially validated targets, including the IL-17 oral peptide antagonist PN-881, an oral hepcidin program, and an oral obesity program.