Ross Cummings

Ross has a wealth of experience in the IP profession, including not only patent drafting and global patent prosecution, but also specialist work supporting product life cycle management strategy, and strategic operational and investment decisions.  The latter activities informed in particular by a period spent in-house at a multinational pharmaceutical company.

Ross is known for his clear and accessible explanations of complex matters and has a strong track record of getting challenging biotech patents granted at the European Patent Office.  Ross also has a strong track record with European oppositions and appeals, both defending and opposing.

Ross works directly with a diverse range of clients, including UK and EU-based spin-outs and SMEs, universities, investors and multinationals.  In addition, Ross manages European patent portfolios and oppositions on behalf of overseas clients.  Ross also has significant experience performing freedom to operate and infringement analysis of European biologics and diagnostic patents, as well as due diligence activities for biotech investors.

Ross is also experienced in obtaining biotech supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) and foreign patent term extensions.

The IAM 1000 2024 directory summarised the feedback on Ross as follows: “Cummings is appreciated for his “technical expertise, smooth communication and valuable insight on patent protection strategy in the drug discovery and pharmaceutical development industry. He provides extremely useful advice on drafting, filing and overall IP strategy.””

In his spare time, Ross enjoys spending quality time with his wife and young children and cooking family meals.  Ross also loves a good sci-fi book or movie, and is a regular at his local CrossFit box.

Ross works on a variety of inventions in the biotechnology, diagnostic and therapeutic fields, but has particular expertise in:

• Oligonucleotide therapies, including siRNA, CRISPR and base editing
• Cell therapies, including CAR-T therapeutics
• Synthetic biology
• Antibody therapeutics, including multi-specific engineered immunoglobulins
• Vaccines, including RNA-based, viral and cell based
• TechBio, particularly AI facilitated vaccine design
• Microbiome therapies and microbiology
• Drug re-purposing, formulations and dosage regimes
• Drug delivery devices
• Agricultural biotech, including engineered plants and alternative protein

European Patent Attorney
UK Patent Attorney
UPC Representative

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)
Member of the European Patent Institute (EPI)

Ross graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an Honours Degree in Medical Microbiology.  Ross then obtained a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine investigating the role of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in the malaria parasite.

Ross joined the patent profession in 2006 and qualified as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 2011 and a European Patent Attorney in 2012 while working at another top tier firm of patent attorneys.  Ross joined GJE in 2017 and became a Partner in 2022.