Duke leverages more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and intellectual property law to help life sciences companies protect and monetize their innovations.

Overview
Insights
Awards

Duke combines his scientific knowledge and skill, and his deep understanding of pharmaceutical patent practice to advise life sciences clients on all aspects of securing protection for and maximizing the commercial value of their discoveries and inventions. He joined the firm after nearly 24 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), including more than seven years as a research investigator and principal scientist, and 16 years as a patent attorney, most recently as vice president for pharmaceutical patents in the U.S.

As a leader of GSK’s patent team, Duke was responsible for managing GSK’s pharmaceutical research patent portfolio from target validation through early-stage clinical development across all nononcology therapy areas and a wide variety of therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, antibody drug conjugates, oligonucleotides, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), and cytotoxicity targeting chimeras (CyTaCs). He sat on the research governance boards and advised GSK’s research leaders on a variety of issues, including patentability, IP strategy, portfolio building, due diligence, licensing negotiations, contract interpretation, loss of exclusivity, freedom-to-operate, and risk mitigation. As a member of GSK’s global pharmaceutical patents leadership team, Duke also coordinated the training, education, and career development of attorneys throughout the company, helping to shape a high-performance culture to support GSK’s research and development goals.

Earlier, Duke was responsible for GSK’s oncology discovery patent portfolio, as well as advanced clinical-stage and marketed small molecule drugs, advising the oncology R&D leadership on IP strategy, patentability, freedom-to-operate, publication strategy, and licensing rights and obligations. Before that, he was the primary attorney for various patent portfolios, provided counseling to senior level R&D management on IP strategy, and was responsible for drafting and global prosecution of pharmaceutical patent applications covering a variety of new chemical entity therapeutics and a couple of marketed monoclonal antibody drugs.

Duke started his career at GSK as a principal scientist and then investigator in medicinal chemistry, where he designed, synthesized, and evaluated novel, small molecule inhibitor templates in the areas of antibiotics, antivirals, oncology, and supportive care, including the discovery of six clinical development candidates. Duke also is the co-inventor of daprodustat, approved as Jesduvroq™ in the U.S. and Duvroq™ in Japan, for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

Duke is the co-inventor on several additional granted patents, is the author of numerous articles in scientific journals, and received more than a dozen awards recognizing his achievements at GSK.

  • GlaxoSmithKline Platinum Recognition Award for IP support in the $5.1 billion acquisition of Tesaro, Inc., 2019
  • GlaxoSmithKline Innovation, Performance, and Trust (IPT) Award for being one of GSK’s most impactful performers, 2018
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for providing IP support and negotiating deal terms in the $330 million divestment of late-stage asset tapinarof, 2018
  • GlaxoSmithKline Silver Recognition Award for providing IP support and negotiating deal terms in the divestment of marketed asset raxibacumab, 2017
  • GlaxoSmithKline Silver Recognition Award for taking a lead role in the Global Patents Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABAC) Compliance Program, 2012 and 2015
  • GlaxoSmithKline Pipeline Award for making a unique, innovative, and exceptional contribution to the HIF prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor daprodustat (GSK1278863), now approved as Jesduvroq™ in the U.S. and Duvroq™ in Japan for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for contributions to the HIF prolyl hydroxylase development candidate GSK1278863, 2007
  • GlaxoSmithKline Exceptional Science Award, 2006
  • GlaxoSmithKline Silver Recognition Award for the design and synthesis of HIF prolyl hydroxylase development candidate GSK1002083, 2006
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for contributions to the CENP-E development candidate GSK923295, 2005
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for the design and synthesis of DYRK-3 development candidate GSK626616, 2005
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for the invention of a novel series of orally active inhibitors of HIF prolyl hydroxylase, 2005

Duke combines his scientific knowledge and skill, and his deep understanding of pharmaceutical patent practice to advise life sciences clients on all aspects of securing protection for and maximizing the commercial value of their discoveries and inventions. He joined the firm after nearly 24 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), including more than seven years as a research investigator and principal scientist, and 16 years as a patent attorney, most recently as vice president for pharmaceutical patents in the U.S.

As a leader of GSK’s patent team, Duke was responsible for managing GSK’s pharmaceutical research patent portfolio from target validation through early-stage clinical development across all nononcology therapy areas and a wide variety of therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, antibody drug conjugates, oligonucleotides, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), and cytotoxicity targeting chimeras (CyTaCs). He sat on the research governance boards and advised GSK’s research leaders on a variety of issues, including patentability, IP strategy, portfolio building, due diligence, licensing negotiations, contract interpretation, loss of exclusivity, freedom-to-operate, and risk mitigation. As a member of GSK’s global pharmaceutical patents leadership team, Duke also coordinated the training, education, and career development of attorneys throughout the company, helping to shape a high-performance culture to support GSK’s research and development goals.

Earlier, Duke was responsible for GSK’s oncology discovery patent portfolio, as well as advanced clinical-stage and marketed small molecule drugs, advising the oncology R&D leadership on IP strategy, patentability, freedom-to-operate, publication strategy, and licensing rights and obligations. Before that, he was the primary attorney for various patent portfolios, provided counseling to senior level R&D management on IP strategy, and was responsible for drafting and global prosecution of pharmaceutical patent applications covering a variety of new chemical entity therapeutics and a couple of marketed monoclonal antibody drugs.

Duke started his career at GSK as a principal scientist and then investigator in medicinal chemistry, where he designed, synthesized, and evaluated novel, small molecule inhibitor templates in the areas of antibiotics, antivirals, oncology, and supportive care, including the discovery of six clinical development candidates. Duke also is the co-inventor of daprodustat, approved as Jesduvroq™ in the U.S. and Duvroq™ in Japan, for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

Duke is the co-inventor on several additional granted patents, is the author of numerous articles in scientific journals, and received more than a dozen awards recognizing his achievements at GSK.

  • GlaxoSmithKline Platinum Recognition Award for IP support in the $5.1 billion acquisition of Tesaro, Inc., 2019
  • GlaxoSmithKline Innovation, Performance, and Trust (IPT) Award for being one of GSK’s most impactful performers, 2018
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for providing IP support and negotiating deal terms in the $330 million divestment of late-stage asset tapinarof, 2018
  • GlaxoSmithKline Silver Recognition Award for providing IP support and negotiating deal terms in the divestment of marketed asset raxibacumab, 2017
  • GlaxoSmithKline Silver Recognition Award for taking a lead role in the Global Patents Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABAC) Compliance Program, 2012 and 2015
  • GlaxoSmithKline Pipeline Award for making a unique, innovative, and exceptional contribution to the HIF prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor daprodustat (GSK1278863), now approved as Jesduvroq™ in the U.S. and Duvroq™ in Japan for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for contributions to the HIF prolyl hydroxylase development candidate GSK1278863, 2007
  • GlaxoSmithKline Exceptional Science Award, 2006
  • GlaxoSmithKline Silver Recognition Award for the design and synthesis of HIF prolyl hydroxylase development candidate GSK1002083, 2006
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for contributions to the CENP-E development candidate GSK923295, 2005
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for the design and synthesis of DYRK-3 development candidate GSK626616, 2005
  • GlaxoSmithKline Bronze Recognition Award for the invention of a novel series of orally active inhibitors of HIF prolyl hydroxylase, 2005

Education

  • Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2012, Order of the Coif
  • Harvard University, Ph.D., 2000, organic chemistry
  • University of Pennsylvania, B.A., cum laude, 1993, chemistry

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Podcast, “New Developments in Obviousness-Type Double Patenting and Original Patent Requirements,” Patents: Post-Grant Podcast, August 12, 2024.
  • Co-author, “Discovery and Preclinical Characterization of GSK1278863 (Daprodustat), a Small Molecule Hypoxia Inducible Factor–Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor for Anemia,” Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2017.
  • Co-author, “Discovery of the First Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Centromere-Associated Protein E: GSK923295,” ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010.
  • Co-author, “Substituted Benzothiadizine Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus Polymerase,” Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2009.
  • Co-author, “Synthesis and Biological Activity of Heteroaryl 3-(1,1-dioxo-2H-(1,2,4)-benzothiadizin-3-yl)-4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone Derivatives as Hepatitis C Virus NS5B Polymerase Inhibitors,” Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2009.
  • Co-author, “3-(1,1-Dioxo-2H-(1,2,4)-benzothiadiazin-3-yl)-4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinones, Potent Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase,” Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2006.
  • Co-author, “A Highly Efficient, Asymmetric Synthesis of Benzothiadiazine-Substituted Tetramic Acids: Potent Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase,” Organic Letters, 2006.