Benjamin H. Pensak

Partner

Benjamin H. Pensak counsels clients on technology transactions and related corporate matters, primarily in the life sciences industry. Ben represents international and US–based public and private companies and institutions and his clients include biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical device, diagnostics, and medical informatics companies. Ben advises clients regarding negotiating and structuring acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, corporate partnering, licensing, and other complex collaborations. He also drafts and negotiates day-to-day technical contractual arrangements.

Extended Profile

In his transactional work, Ben handles arrangements related to discovery, development, manufacture and supply, marketing, and outsourcing for life sciences companies and other innovative and developed technology companies. He also works with research organizations and institutions.

While earning his undergraduate degree in religion, Ben conducted a range of microbiology research focused primarily on gene therapy.

selected representations

Xencor in its collaboration and licensing agreement with Novartis, valued up to $2.41 billion, related to the development and commercialization of therapeutics based on Xencor’s bispecific antibody technology or XmAb Fc technologies
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in its licensing and collaboration agreement with Intellia Therapeutics to advance CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technology for in vivo therapeutic development
Xencor in its up to $1.7 billion agreement with Amgen to license Xencor’s XmAb® technologies for use in cancer immunotherapy and inflammation
Merck in its $450 million license and collaboration agreement with NGM Biopharmaceuticals for a wide range of preclinical biologics
Xencor in its agreement with Novo Nordisk to jointly discover novel biologic drug candidates combining multiple Xencor XmAb® technologies
Ono Pharmaceuticals in its exclusive license agreement with Gilead for the global development and commercialization of Ono’s oral BTK inhibitor
Eli Lilly in its development and commercialization agreement with AstraZeneca related to BACE-inhibiting molecules
Eli Lilly in its development and license agreement with Immunocore related to Immunocore’s Immune Mobilising Monoclonal T-Cell Receptor Against Cancer technology
Merck in its $14.2 billion agreement to sell its consumer care business to Bayer
Amarin in its co-promotion agreement with Kowa Pharmaceuticals for Amarin’s flagship product, Vascepa®, in the United States
Eli Lilly in its license agreement with Sanofi for the potential Rx-to-OTC switch of Cialis®
Eli Lilly in its negotiation of a co-development and co-commercialization agreement with Pfizer relating to tanezumab and other hNGF antibodies for the treatment of pain
Merck Serono in its option and license agreement valued up to $225 million with Opexa Therapeutics for the development and commercialization of TcelnaTM, a T-cell therapy for those suffering from multiple sclerosis
Merck Serono in its development, manufacturing and commercialization collaboration with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories for a portfolio of biosimilar compounds in oncology primarily focused on monoclonal antibodies
Lundbeck in its up to $1.8 billion co-development and co-commercialization global alliance with Otsuka Pharmaceutical for up to five innovative psychiatric and neuroscience products worldwide
Eli Lilly in its transfer of US rights to sepsis drug Xigris® to BioCritica, a newly created biotech company jointly owned by Lilly, Care Capital, and NovaQuest Capital
Onyx Pharmaceuticals in its more than $300 million development and commercialization collaboration with Ono Pharmaceutical for Carfilzomib and ONX-0912 in oncology indications in Japan
Smiths Detection in its collaboration with Novartis Diagnostics relating to Smiths' Bio-Seeq platform and LATE-PCR technology for use in a range of point-of-care diagnostic tests