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

Masashi Matsunaga

Biospire Japan Ltd. / Biospire UK Ltd.
CEO

As an experienced global business development strategist, Dr Masashi Matsunaga provides business soft-landing, clinical and regulatory support to the UK and European market. He also enables to support IP management, marketing and pitch-deck brush-up in the MEDISO support package. He is based at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, a core UK innovation hub located near Oxford.

Yoshimi Naruo

Orizuru Therapeuics, Inc. Associate Director, IP&Legal Ph.D., Patent attorney

Education: Ph.D. in Bioinformatics/Systems Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Conducted research in systems biology at RIKEN for 3 years (student internship). Experience: 5 years of experience in drug regulatory affairs at an originator pharmaceutical company, followed by 2 years as an in-house IP specialist handling invalidation and infringement matters at a generic pharmaceutical company. Patent prosecution primarily in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and food at an IP law firm. Fulfilling a long-held aspiration to join a startup, she took on the role of Vice President of Legal IP & Strategy at Splink, Inc., where she contributed to winning the Grand Prix at the 3rd IP BASE AWARD hosted by the Japan Patent Office and the 2022 WIPO Global Awards hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Currently, she is responsible for intellectual property and legal affairs at Orizuru Therapeutics, Inc., a company aiming to commercialize regenerative medicine derived from iPS cells. She leads the formulation of IP strategies and the development of an IP portfolio. Her strength lies in creating IP strategies with a focus on pharmaceutical regulatory affairs, and she strives to provide practical advice in the face of limited resources and uncertainties surrounding technology and commercialization.

Masakatsu Noguchi

SMILE CURVE, Inc.

Ph.D. in life sciences. Worked at consulting firm Dream Incubator, consulting in industry-academia collaboration, business support for tech startups (bio, semiconductor, environmental energy), new business development for large corporations, and overseeing government mega-projects. Previously employed at Abbott Japan and Singapore, managing product marketing for diagnostic tests, pharmaceuticals (women's health), and Asia-Pacific marketing for medical IT. As Business Development Director at Sanamedi, facilitated the commercialization of new medical devices, handled regulatory applications and market launches, and supported investments in and assistance to startups. Additionally served as an evaluator for AMED, and as a mentor for NEDO and university accelerator programs. Currently working independently, he serves as a specially appointed associate professor in the Hiroshima University and as an strategic advisor of MEJ.

Yasuo Sasaki

He graduated with a doctoral degree in science from the Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University. He was involved in the research and development of pharmaceutical products as an employee of Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation. He was mainly in charge of preclinical studies and regulatory affairs. From 2013, he provided support for research and development by academia, drug discovery venture companies, and small and medium enterprises centering on the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Since 2018, he has been providing support services as a freelance advisor or coordinator in the life science field.

Tomohiko Goto

TAIYO Pharma Co.,Ltd CMC Solutions Dept. Manager

Having extensive experience and achievements in formulation development, new drug application processes, investigational drug formulation development, support for overseas clinical trials, plant construction and GMP acquisition through long years at a pharmaceutical company, and more recently, engaging in CMC activities for investigational drug development and clinical trial advancement at a medical bio-venture company within Shonan i-Park(Kanagawa,Japan), I hope to contribute as a part-time CMC supporter for MESIDO. I am passionate about supporting the swift delivery of unmet need pharmaceuticals developed by domestic and international medical pharmaceutical venture companies to patients. Among many support areas, if I can contribute my specialized and niche knowledge in the CMC field (particularly in formulation development) to address challenges in cutting-edge bio-venture research worldwide through the MEDISO project, and support quicker entry into clinical trials, it would be most gratifying.