A comprehensive portal site for Medical Innovation Support Office (MEDISO).Medical Innovation Support Office

Akiyo Inoko Hewett

Attorney, Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP

Akiyo Inoko Hewett is a bilingual and double-licensed attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. She graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and earned her J.D. at Keio Law School. After passing the Japanese bar exam and completing her legal training in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Akiyo relocated to the United States. She earned an LL.M. from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, Akiyo serves as an attorney at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, where she provides legal services to Japanese companies doing business in the United States and supports clients across a broad range of corporate matters. Her practice areas include international and domestic commercial transactions, regulartory compliance, healthcare law, and immigration law.

Shin-ichi Kamachi

CRO-K Co.,Ltd

Completed doctoral course at Kyushu University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. After joining Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Research Institute in 1977, he worked consistently on pharmaceutical research and development. He has experience in approving one small molecule drug and four biopharmaceuticals. He also has the experience of being the first Japanese company to recommend approval for a central review of EMA. He took early retirement in 2004 and mainly assists with biopharmaceutical CMC and non-clinical testing. After establishing the Japanese branch of an American biopharmaceutical consulting company (Biologic Consulting Group, BCG), he currently serves as a senior consultant for CLOCK Co., Ltd., providing support and advice on the development of biopharmaceuticals.

Rou Irisawa

IRISAWA Consulting LLC

Worked at Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for 27 years, primarily in antibody drug research and development, CMC regulatory affairs, and quality assurance, from preclinical trials stage to BLA stage. Involved in the BLA of Japan, US and EU approval for the CTD-Q of Actemra, Japan's original first antibody drug. And also involved in Japan BLA for several biologics Genentech original. Since 2017, involved in the development of many new modalities, including three SAKIGAKE designated cell products, and participated in 21 times PMDA consultations responsible for CMC regulatory and QA for cell products and gene therapy products. In 2023, became independent as a CMC regulatory consultant. Author of ""CMC Pharmaceutical Design - CMC Pharmaceutical Strategy in the Era of New Modality Pharmaceuticals"" (Yakuji Nipposha, 2022), and is the overall supervisor of the Japanese translation of A-CELL (CMC Development Guidance for CAR-T). Fellow at Tama University's Medical Care Solutions Research Institute, and a top performer in the regular course of Pharmaceutical Evaluation Science at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2024. Certified in generative AI skills (November 2025).　Currently involved in various projects, including serving as CMC lecturer at seminars on how to proceed with the development of CMC for antibody drugs, cell products, gene therapy products, etc　for small company to semi-major company.

Masato Kishida

My global achivements are categorized in two main types as follows: 1. Succesfully cordinating and facilitating several business globalization projects of some orphan products for CNS disorders and inherited metabolic disorders as a project leader, and 2. Outstanding success in the legal entities' establishment of three key area, e.g., a global clinical development head office in EU, two clinical and RA offices in the US & Brazil and an ASEAN region business head office in Singapore. Global business expansion is composed of two main phase. First one is to elaborate specific business plan from global business policy to clinical development strategy to draw the master of global business big picture. Next one is to implement the fixed road map and steamlined action plans on the timeline basis under the frequent risk assessment and business environment analysis.

Yumi Kawata ,MD, PhD

Hedgehog MedTech, Inc.

She is Founder and CEO of Hedgehog MedTech, Inc, a start-up Digital Therapeutics (DTx) company. Previously, she was a manager with SoftBank Corp, where she evaluated new Healthcare & Life Science investment opportunities, managed relationships with strategic partners. Prior to SoftBank, she was a Government Relations specialist with Medley, Inc, where she built and maintained the relationships with Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Academia. She launched researches and POCs, contributing to the spread of telemedicine in Japan. She also served as a technical officer for MHLW. she was involved in the management of researches on Rare and Intractable diseases and Infectious Diseases.