2026 Life Science Intellectual Property Forum The future of the pharmaceutical industry brought about by the advancement of digitalization and the new routine use of AI
The 2026 Life Science IP Forum will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at Sola City Conference Center, Ochanomizu, Tokyo
"2026 Life Science IP Forum" will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at Sola City Conference Center, Ochanomizu, Tokyo.
It is no exaggeration to say that innovation in the pharmaceutical industry will no longer be possible without the use of DX and AI. It is no exaggeration to say that innovation in the pharmaceutical industry will no longer be possible without the use of DX and AI.
The Pharmaceutical Consortium Life Science IP Forum has held four meetings since 2018 to discuss "utilization of medical data," "drug discovery using AI," "digitization and platforming of information," "IP landscape," "digital therapy," "utilization of AI and human resources," and other topics, and to discuss the intellectual assets and IP rights involved. We have been discussing intellectual assets, IP rights, and business and human resources in these areas.
The Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry in 2024 were awarded to basic and applied research in AI, and the Chemistry Prize in particular was awarded to technology related to protein design and 3D structure prediction using AI, which is also important in drug discovery research. The Chemistry Prize in particular was awarded for technology related to protein design and structure prediction using AI, which is also important in drug discovery research.
The use of generative AI in various tasks in the value chain of the pharmaceutical industry is said to go beyond mere "work efficiency improvement" to autonomous processing of multiple tasks with the advent of AI agents, bringing business automation into view.
On the other hand, it is also necessary to face up to the risks associated with AI utilization. Finally, the so-called AI Law was enacted in Japan in 2025, but discussions on actual issues have only just begun at the Artificial Intelligence Strategy Headquarters established after that. In this context, the "Dabas case," a court case concerning a patent application for AI products, has accelerated discussions on how inventors and products should be protected, and the Patent System Subcommittee of the Industrial Structure Council is now actively discussing the issue.
In this forum, we will take a bird's-eye view of the current status of digitalization and AI utilization in the value chain of the pharmaceutical industry, and then, using AI utilization in the pharmaceutical industry as an example, we will discuss how far the efficiency of R&D has actually been improved through AI utilization, and how the use of AI in the pharmaceutical industry has led to business innovation and drug discovery R&D. In addition, the seminar will also cover the legal system that should be taken into consideration when utilizing AI, and how AI products should be handled and protected. At the same time, issues such as data privacy, bias, and reliability of AI products will also be introduced. Based on these assumptions, the panelists will discuss how the pharmaceutical industry should tackle the aforementioned issues.
The promotion of DX and AI utilization in the pharmaceutical industry is essential to improve the efficiency and productivity of the value chain. We hope that this forum will be as useful as possible in promoting innovation in the pharmaceutical industry and raising the level of healthcare globally.
Outline of the exhibition
| Date and Time | Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 13:00-17:00 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Sola City Conference Center, 2F Sola City Hall (Ochanomizu)
4-6 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo The session will be webcast from the venue, but there will be no Q&A session. There will be no Q&A session, nor will there be an archived webcast. |
| Registration Fee | There is no charge for this event. |
| Registration | Click here to register. |
Program (titles omitted)
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As of December 2023Speakers, panelists and titles are subject to change.
Lecture
| Theme | Speaker |
|---|---|
| Change with AI Change with AI | Hironaga Kudo
Senior Principal, Healthcare and Service Industry Consulting Division Senior Principal, Healthcare and Service Industry Consulting Department, Consulting Division, Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. |
| Coexistence of Technology and Human: New Opportunities and Challenges in the Pharmaceutical Industry | Takao Suzuki
Counselor, Head of Digital Transformation Unit, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. |
| Development of Drug Discovery AI Platform and its Application to Academia Drug Discovery | Mitsutaka Homma
Team Director, RIKEN Center for Biomedical Research |
| Issues in the Patent System in Light of the Development of AI Technology | Jyunsuke Semmoto
Planning and Research Officer, General Affairs Division, General Affairs Department, Japan Patent Office |
| Changes in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Intellectual Property Practice Caused by the Routine Use of AI | Hiroya Okumura
Chairman, Intellectual Property Committee, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association / Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited |
Panel Discussion
| Moderator | Hiroya Okumura |
|---|---|
| Panelists | Hironaga Kudo / Takao Suzuki / Mitsutaka Homma / Junsuke Chimoto |
For inquiries, please contact
Secretariat of the Preparatory Committee for 2026 Life Science IP Forum
- Contact person
- Intellectual Property Committee, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Attn: Kawamoto/Nomura
- Phone
- 03-3241-0335
- Fax
- 03-3242-1767
- chizai-forum@jpma.or.jp