Season of Events Kicked Off with an Expert Lecture on Generic Drug Development and Patents in Pharmaceuticals

On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, an expert lecture titled “Generic Drug Development: From Patent Expirations to Data-Driven Innovations” took place at the Technology Park Ljubljana, organized by the ASEF Institute in collaboration with Lek, a Sandoz company. The event was aimed at ASEF fellows, alumni, and the general public, offering participants an in-depth look into the complete lifecycle of modern medicines – from the initial research steps in the laboratory to their successful market entry.

Three leading experts from Lek shared their rich knowledge and practical experience with the audience. Dr. Alenka Štefanič Petek, Head of the Development Center Slovenia, guided participants through the entire generic drug development process, highlighting its crucial role in expanding global access to treatment. The challenges of developing more complex molecules were shed light on by Dr. Nika Anžiček, Scientific Advisor SGD, who presented the specific aspects and complexity of biosimilar development. Meanwhile, the importance of the legal framework and intellectual property was explained by Dr. Miha Kotnik, Group Head of Intellectual Property, who detailed how patents and patent cliffs shape the development timeline and market access for drugs.

Special emphasis during the lecture was placed on the role played by advanced analytics, process automation, and data science in modern pharmaceuticals. The use of modern digital tools enables significantly faster optimization of pharmaceutical dosage forms, better risk management, and a reduction in the time required for new therapies to reach patients. The lecture was followed by a lively Q&A session, during which participants asked the speakers numerous questions regarding the use of patent databases and drug development.

The ASEF Institute sincerely thanks the speakers and Lek, a Sandoz company, for sharing their expertise and for co-organizing the event.