The event, titled "inochi Pharma Campaign Program: Thinking with Junior and Senior High School Students about the Next Generation of the Pharmaceutical Industry," was co-hosted by the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and the inochi WAKAZO Project (inochi) on March 21, 2012 at the Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference. The program was held at the Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference on March 21.
This program is the second phase of the "Discover the Pharmaceutical Industry Experience Project," which was launched in 2021 by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan, and aims to deepen understanding of the pharmaceutical industry through lectures and exchanges for young people, especially junior and senior high school students.
The titles and positions of the participants are current at the time of the event.
Introduction
The "inochi Pharma Campaign Program: Thinking with Junior and Senior High School Students about the Next Generation of the Pharmaceutical Industry" was an event consisting of three parts. The first part was a lecture by an outside lecturer, the second part was a panel discussion by four experts, including members of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan, in addition to the outside lecturers, and the third part was a reflection time mainly for the junior and senior high school students, but also including university students from IOCHI. Based on the "learning" about the pharmaceutical industry obtained in the first and second parts of the program, all participants will have a chance to reflect and deepen their understanding of the pharmaceutical industry.
Part 1: Lecture by lecturers
Title of Lecture: "Treating the Brain with AI"
Presenter: Dr. Yuji Ikeya, Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
In the first part of the lecture, Dr. Yuji Ikeya, a brain scientist and professor at the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Mr. Ko Ishiyama, an AI entrepreneur and president of ExaWizards Inc. were invited to speak on the practical application of AI, including the latest findings, from both the industry and academic perspectives. In addition to the lecture at the venue, which was attended by middle and high school students, approximately 150 people watched the lecture online, providing an opportunity to learn about medicine and AI.
Under the theme of "AI for Brain Treatment," Dr. Ikeya explained in detail how AI is contributing to drug discovery with various examples. He also touched on the future possibilities of AI in the field of healthcare, starting from the importance of "deep learning" in AI to image diagnosis using AI in the medical field, health management using wearable devices, real-time intraocular pressure monitoring using medical contact lenses, and counseling using artificial intelligence. He also introduced how the medical field is undergoing a major transformation through the use of AI.
In closing, Dr. Ikeya encouraged the junior and senior high school students who attended the lecture, saying, "I hope young people will take the baton from us and challenge themselves in this field.
Title of Lecture: "Drug Discovery Business from a Startup Perspective"
Lecturer: Mr. Kou Ishiyama, President, ExaWizards, Inc.
Next, Mr. Koh Ishiyama gave a lecture titled "Drug Discovery Business from a Startup Perspective. In a manner befitting a startup, Mr. Ishiyama introduced his own unique entrepreneurial profile with a laugh. He also gave an easy-to-understand explanation of the potential of AI in business, given that the business scene is not very familiar to middle and high school students.
The topic was not limited to AI, but also touched on the importance of leadership in venture companies and the recent topic of "Chat GPT. He told the audience with a laugh that he had asked "Chat GPT" some questions when he was preparing the content of his talk and had received some pretty great answers.
He also used Otani as an example, stressing the importance of demonstrating entrepreneurship in the "two-faced" approach of AI and drug discovery, and ultimately delivering things properly to the users.
Part 2: Panel Discussion
Moderator
Mr. Kazuhiko Mori, Executive Director, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
Panelists
Vice Chairman, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
Chairman, President & CEO, Shionogi & Co.
Mr. Isao Teshirogi
Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Mr. Yuji Ikeya
President, ExaWizards Corporation
Mr. Ko Ishiyama
The second part of the event will be a panel discussion on the theme of "The Future of Drug Discovery: Where Should Japan's Pharmaceutical Industry Head?" The second part was a panel discussion on the theme of "The Future of Drug Discovery: Where Should Japan's Pharmaceutical Industry Head? In his opening talk, moderator Mr. Mori of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) asked questions such as "Would you like to use AI-generated pharmaceuticals?" and "Are you interested in pharmaceutical research and work?" and "Are you interested in pharmaceutical research and work?
Mr. Teshirogi of Shionogi, representing a pharmaceutical company, asked the audience "What do you think about the future of drug discovery? Mr. Mori of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan asked, "What do you think is the future of drug discovery?" He said that pharmaceutical companies are required to dramatically shorten the development period by collaborating with venture companies and academia.
Dr. Ikeya noted that the "creation" in "drug discovery" has a creative meaning and is the culmination of many skills, technologies, and experiences. In particular, he said that Japan is the first country in the world to face an aging society and that there are opportunities for drug discovery through new approaches using human knowledge plus AI targeting the elderly.
Mr. Ishiyama cited the question that AI ventures are often asked, "Does AI have any value to society?" If AI cannot be used for drug discovery, it cannot be said to have social value. He also argued that AI is a field that has both social value and scientific interest.
The exciting discussion, which lasted over an hour, can be viewed on Youtube video.
Part 3: Reflection time (excerpts)
Students who attended the lectures in Part 1 and the panel discussion in Part 2 had time to share their thoughts and feelings with each other and make them their own.
The reflection time was facilitated by university students from INOCHI, providing a valuable opportunity for the students to exchange their discussions with each other, not as lecturers and students, but eye-to-eye.
The event was attended by over 200 participants, mainly junior high and high school students, including both on-site and remote participants, and included lectures by top leaders from industry and academia working in the pharmaceutical industry, panel discussions, and reflection time.
We believe that this event provided an opportunity for middle and high school students, especially during their winter break, to interact with people they would not normally have a chance to talk with, and to gain a deeper knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry.
We will continue to create various opportunities to provide meaningful information to the young people who will lead the pharmaceutical industry.
Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Inc.
