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Identifying - Evaluating - Securing Patents & Licenses

 

Rama P. Ramanujam, Ph.D.

 

Career History

NIVIN Inc, Dublin, OH                                                      2000-Present
Patent Agent & President

The mission of Nivin® is to provide top-quality, cost-effective patent and license services for commercial and academic clients throughout the world. Nivin® serves an expanding network of entrepreneurial biotechnology, semiconductor and medical diagnostics companies.

Recently completed contracts include:

  • Trained and coached more than 800 faculty, research staff and students across The Ohio State University, Medical Center --detailing steps, processes and campus resources to help protect intellectual work and its commercial potential.
  • Drafted and filed patent applications.
  • Secured trade-marks.
  • Performed technology evaluation & license negotiations.
  • Performed technology valuation for merger & acquisition activities.
  • Secured contract research.
  • Performed patent claims valuation.
  • Performed file-wrapper analysis.
  • Provided practical advise in managing inventions and innovations.
  • Co-founded ADNA Inc, Swaast Herbaceuticals Inc and PranOx Inc.

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH   
Technology Commercialization & Partnerships Consultant
The Ohio State University Medical Center                           2004-Present                                                                                   
Provide focused, efficient and effective technology commercialization and partnerships education resulting in an ever increasing stream of licensing and collaboration revenue and recognition for researchers, the college of Medicine and the Ohio State University.
Key Responsibilities:
Educated more than 800 faculty, staff and students on the significance of Technology Commercialization & Partnerships.
Developed a web-site and an expertise database to manage Technology Commercialization & Partnerships activities.

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH   
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology       2004-2005

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH   
Associate Director, Office for Technology Licensing            2002-2004           
Associate Director, Technology Commercialization & Partnerships
College of Medicine & Public Health                                                                                    
Management of Intellectual Property disclosed from virtually all units of the University with the majority of inventions originating from the Colleges of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Dentistry, Engineering, Medicine and Public Health, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Sciences.
Key Responsibilities: 

  • Discuss inventions with faculty; evaluate commercial potential and patentability of inventions; prepare non-confidential abstracts of inventions; develop marketing plans; identify and market intellectual property (IP) to potential licensees; negotiate and enforce license agreements and review confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements and the intellectual property terms of sponsored research agreements.
  • Assist the Director in managing the transaction process conducted by licensing associates, and directly supervise the licensing associates.
  • Assist in development of term sheets and agreements for options and licenses; encourage and evaluate invention disclosures.
  • Manage the patent process including oversight of outside patent counsel; oversee the filing and management of patent and copyright applications.
  • Organize educational programs for faculty and inventors; and market technology to industry.

1998-2000:

QIAGEN GmbH, Hilden, Germany
A market leader in nucleic acids separation & purification

Manager, Technology Development
Served as Business Development liaison in acquiring technologies from academic and industrial institutions from the United States. Implemented a comprehensive intellectual property evaluation and protection program in compliance with ISO 9001 standards.

Responsibilities includes technology scouting, product idea evaluation, intellectual property assessment, feasibility-project acquisition, patents and trademark practice. A major contributor in stimulating inventions and innovations based on United States patent law.

1988-1998:

PHARMACIA BIOTECH, Milwaukee, WI
A $400 MM world-wide supplier of reagents and instruments in life sciences. An international market leader in nucleotide and protein purification products.

Manager, Business Development 1993-1998
Responsible for all patent and licensing activities affecting over 1,100 products for markets ranging from molecular biology reagents to nucleic acids intermediates. Evaluate a wide range of new product ideas to determine feasibility, utility and market readiness. Provide regular updates and status of all product initiatives to R&D, marketing, legal, technical services, and corporate business development departments.

ˇ         Secured 15 patents in reagent manufacture including amidites, DNA/RNA purification methods, modifying enzymes and reagent stabilization.

ˇ         Successfully negotiated and licensed a minimum of 12 enabling technologies per year leading to sustained profitable growth of in excess of $2 million per year.

ˇ         Licensed PCR methods & materials to generate incremental revenue.

ˇ         Facilitated and invented-around blocking patents and licenses to recommend over 12 product ideas per year.

ˇ         Co-authored patents (US 5,599,660; 5,593,824; 5,763,157) on technology improvements.

ˇ         Effectively communicated with R&D, marketing, legal and corporate business development departments on product ideas, technologies, competition and trends in order to make educated business decisions.

Principal Scientist 1990-1993

ˇ         Led the development of a novel "Room-Temperature Stable Reagents" system.

ˇ         Presented (6) and published (6) product utility articles in scientific meetings and peer-reviewed technical journals, including BioTechniques and PCR Methods & Applications.

ˇ         Compiled and produced data to support the publication of 12 quarterly scientific papers.

ˇ         Developed and designed a revolutionary room temperature regents system that is ranked among the top 10 products company wide.

Research Scientist 1988-1990
Responsible for the full-cycle development of an enzyme and reagent kit including research, scale-up, manufacturing protocols, packaging and application training.

ˇ         Developed, designed and launched the BandShift Kit, a DNA-protein interaction study kit for novice researchers.

ˇ         Invented and transferred a novel purification protocol to separate NotI restriction enzyme from a human pathogen.

1983-1988:


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, Chicago, IL

Research Associate
Conducted basic research in structure-function interactions of DNA-binding proteins. Assisted professors in scientific research publications and taught undergraduate workshops in "Protein Purification".

ˇ         Published 4 scientific articles with graduate students related to the interaction of DNA-binding proteins in Simian Virus 40.

ˇ         Conducted research in photo-biophysics with plant pigments and published 2 scientific articles.

1978-1983:


Research Fellow

Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India
Stimulation of photosynthesis by herbicides-Biophysics