Universität Heidelberg

Universität Heidelberg, officially known as Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, is a public research university located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Established in 1386 by Pope Urban VI, it is Germany's oldest university and one of the world's oldest surviving universities. As a public institution, it is state-supported. As of 2024, Heidelberg University enrolls approximately 29,000 to 30,000 students and had a budget of EUR 764.9 million in 2018.

The university operates across thirteen faculties, offering a broad spectrum of education and research programs at undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels in over 100 disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, law, natural and engineering sciences, and medicine. Key research focus areas include molecular life sciences and medicine, natural and engineering sciences, humanities and cultural studies, and social sciences and law. It also engages in technology transfer activities, bridging basic research with technological innovation.

In terms of patent litigation, Universität Heidelberg is an operating entity defending its intellectual property. The university has been involved in 2 tracked cases, both as a defendant in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). It has no record as a plaintiff. This posture indicates the university actively protects its research and inventions.

Notable cases include Curium US LLC v. Universität Heidelberg (filed 2025-09-25) and Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. European Atomic Energy Community Euratom et al. (filed 2023-02-13), both at the PTAB. The Fusion Pharmaceuticals case, which also involved the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), concerned a U.S. patent related to an actinium-225-based targeted radiotherapy (FPI-2265) for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-expressing cancers. This dispute was settled, leading to Fusion Pharmaceuticals securing an exclusive worldwide license for the patent from Heidelberg University and Euratom. Similarly, the Curium US LLC case involves a patent for treating PSMA-expressing cancers, also mentioning Actinium-225. These cases highlight the university's involvement in cutting-edge radiopharmaceutical research for oncology.