Dr. Fehlner leads Axcella’s legal efforts and intellectual property strategy. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Axcella’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer. Before joining the company, he was a Principal of Life Sciences Innovation LLC, a consulting company he founded in 2017 to advise on complex business strategy, legal, and IP issues for life sciences companies.

Previously, Dr. Fehlner spent nine years as the Head of Intellectual Property for Novartis Pharma in Basel, Switzerland. In this role, he was responsible for obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing IP rights while also serving on the corporate and pharmaceutical division legal leadership teams.

Dr. Fehlner joined Novartis in 2008 from Baker Botts, where he was a partner specializing in litigation, counselling, and strategic planning in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, where he also led of the life sciences IP practice group. Prior to that, he was an associate and partner at Darby & Darby, Biotechnology Counsel for Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and an associate for Klauber & Jackson. Dr. Fehlner started his career in 1990 as a law clerk in the biotech and pharmaceutical group at Pennie & Edmonds. In addition to life sciences, Dr. Fehlner has worked on chemical and material sciences technologies.

Dr. Fehlner has been named to the IAM Strategy 300 World’s Leading Patent Professionals multiple times. He earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, a Ph.D. in immunology and biochemistry from Rockefeller University (Lois P Markey Fellow), and a B.S. in chemistry from Haverford College (high honors; Phi Beta Kappa).