College Site | Development | TOC - Department Dev Sites | CLHS TOC | Center for Law, Health & Society | News and Events | Center News | Recent grad Chittam Thakore to publish article in next issue of Law/Technology Recent grad Chittam Thakore to publish article in next issue of Law/Technology
August 18, 2010
ATLANTA -- Recent Georgia State Law graduate Chittam U. Thakore, Ph.D., will be published in the next issue of Law/Technology. Thakore's article, "Reverse-Payments From Brand-Name To Generic Drug Companies: Antitrust Law Violations or a Patentee's Rights," focuses on the intellectual property/antitrust issue of payments made by brand name pharmaceutical producers to generic drug companies, at times, in exchange for a delay in the market entry of the generic drug.
According to Thakore, there is a trend of drug patent holders paying others ("reverse payments") who may seek to enter the market, essentially paying competitors to stay out of the market. Currently there is a split between the Eleventh and Sixth Circuit Federal Courts on whether the reverse payments are a direct violation of Federal antitrust laws.
Law/Technology, a World Jurist Association publication, is a quarterly journal which focuses on the influence of technology in the practice of law.
Thakore holds a B.A. in Biology from Catawba College, a Masters in Biology from Western Carolina University, and a Ph.D in Cell and Molecular Biology from East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, degrees Thakore hopes will serve her well in the very precise and specific area of biotechnology patent law.
"I knew I didn't want to spend my life doing lab work," said Thakore, who received her J.D. from Georgia State in May. "After brainstorming about another way I could use my degrees, the closest fit, outside the sciences, seemed to be patent law."
It is her interest in bio-technological patents that encouraged Thakore to seek out Professor Paul Lombardo, who specializes in health and scientific law at Georgia State Law, as a guide for her independent study of this area of patent law. Lombardo sponsored Thakore's independent study of the topic while also working as a sounding-board and mentor while she researched and wrote her article
"It's been a fantastic experience," Thakore said of the work involved in researching and writing the article. "It's been really trying and tiring as well, but over all I'm really pleased."
By Abby Ferrell