Ilana A. Kelsey, Ph.D.
Patent Agent
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  • Two Seaport Lane
  • Boston, MA 02210-2001

Ilana A. Kelsey, Ph.D.

Patent Agent

  • Two Seaport Lane
  • Boston, MA 02210-2001

Ilana Kelsey, Ph.D., applies her extensive expertise in cancer biology, metabolism, immunology, and systems biology to intellectual property matters in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields.

Ilana has broad experience in diverse biological fields that informs her work on prosecution matters. Prior to joining Finnegan, Ilana worked as a postdoctoral associate at Yale University, where she applied single-cell technologies, including sc-ATAC-seq and live-cell imaging, to investigate macrophage activation in complex environments. She taught microbiology and human anatomy at Southern Connecticut State University and was a guest lecturer on cellular metabolism for the Yale University Physicians' Assistant program.

Ilana obtained her doctorate through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard University. During her studies, she characterized a potential cancer resistance mechanism involving a complex interplay between traditional protein signaling, mRNA translation, and microRNA inhibition. She also gained expertise in cellular metabolism in healthy and disease states. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research fellow at the University of Maryland, where she made important contributions to the discovery of molecules that alter the polymorphism of the bacterial signaling molecule, c-di-GMP, which regulates biofilm formation.

Et Cetera

  • Coauthor. "Single-cell secretion analysis reveals a dual role for IL-10 in restraining and resolving the TLR4-induced inflammatory response," Cell Reports, 2021.
  • Coauthor. "Co-stimulation with opposing macrophage polarization cues leads to orthogonal secretion programs in individual cells," Nature Communications, 2021.
  • First author. "mTORC1 suppresses PIM3 expression via miR-33a encoded by the SREBP locus," Scientific Reports, 2017.
  • Recipient, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Predoctoral Individual Fellowship Award, National Institutes of Health, 2014-2017.
  • First author. "Diamidinium and iminium aromatics as new aggregators of the bacterial signaling molecule, c-di-GMP,” Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2012.
  • Coauthor. "c-di-GMP can form remarkably stable G-quadruplexes at physiological conditions in the presence of some planar intercalators," ChemComm, 2011.
  • Coauthor. "Thiazole orange-induced c-di-GMP quadruplex formation facilitates a simple fluorescent detection of this ubiquitous biofilm regulating molecule," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2011.
  • Member, Phi Beta Kappa, 2011.
  • Recipient, Percy Julian Fellowship for undergraduate research, 2009.

Experience

Global prosecution and portfolio management for major pharmaceutical company

Finnegan is lead and preferred IP strategy counsel for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, handling all aspects of prosecution and portfolio management for multiple top-tier products for the client.  The work spans the gamut from drafting and prosecution through larger strategic planning, patent term extension, and pre-litigation preparation on blockbuster small molecule and biologic products in the oncology, rheumatology, immunology, neuromuscular, and cell and gene therapy spaces.

Finnegan tees up valuable patents for Eisai, leading to major strategic collaboration agreement

Finnegan designed and prosecuted a global patent strategy with client Eisai on MORAb-202, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), providing pivotal support for Eisai’s exclusive, global strategic collaboration agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) to co-develop and co-commercialize the asset. Under the publicly announced financial terms of the agreement, BMS will pay Eisai $650 million, including $200 million as payment towards Eisai’s research and development expenses. Eisai is also entitled to receive up to $2.45 billion in potential future development, regulatory, and commercial milestones.
Admissions and Education

Admissions

  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Education

Suffolk University Law School
J.D., expected 2027
Harvard University
Ph.D., Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 2017
University of Maryland
B.S., Biological Sciences, magna cum laude, 2011
University of Maryland
B.S., Biochemistry, magna cum laude with high honors, 2011

Ilana's Practices

Global IP Enforcement, Litigation, and Trials
Due Diligence
Opinions and Counseling

Ilana's Industries

Life Sciences
Biologics
Biotechnology
Pharmaceutical

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