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

Jun Utsumi

CEO, TIR Research Consulting LLC.

JU graduated from the Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University. He holds DVM, D.Sc., MBA and has licenses of Professional Engineer (biotechnology), Radiation Protection Supervisor and Certified Scientist of Medical AI. He was engaged in research and clinical development at Toray Industries, Inc. and succeeded in commercializing the world's first opioid kappa agonist (received Awards from the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan and Okochi Memorial Foundation). After the business career, he served as a professor in Hokkaido University and Kyoto University, as well as an expert in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) and a senior consultant for intellectual property at the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). Over 30 years of experience led him to establish a consulting company in 2018, he is also involved in medical DX support and won the Japan Open Innovation Award in 2023. He is part-time lecturers at the graduate schools of the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and the University of Tsukuba. He published “A Guide to Integrated Strategy in Drug Discovery” (Nanzando Co., 2015).

Takeshi komatani

Takeshi S Komatani is currently principal litigation certified patent attorney in the field of chemical/pharma and bio/life sciences at a patent law firm, and has a number of counsels, including in academia, start-ups and big pharma internationally. Takeshi received his PhD from the University of Tokyo, Japan, received his LLB and LLM (global legal practice) from Keio University, and is currently a visiting professor at Kobe University, teaching IP strategy in entrepreneurship and Doshisha University (Kyoto). He has completed CEIPI Summer School on IP (University of Strasbourg), France. He is also qualified as a pharmacist with a certificate of Kampo and natural medicines specialist qualification. He was a researcher at F Hoffmann-La Roche in Basle, Switzerland. He has completed the EU-recognised PharmaTrain course at Osaka University, and is qualified as a board-certified member of the Japanese Association of Pharmaceutical Medicine. He is a member of the AIPPI and vice chair of TRIPS SC and a member of IP-GRTK SC and Pharma SC, and a member of the editorial board of the Pharmaceutical Patent Analyst (UK). He is also a member of JPAA, APAA, IPAJ, PSA, JPA, CSAIP and AAAS. He has lectured in academia, including at Japanese and German universities and WIPO Academy, and contributed to a number of articles.

Hidehiro Ando

President & Representative, Andy Pharma Partners Inc.

He graduated from the Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo. He joined Tanabe Pharma Corporation (present Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation). After being assigned to the research department of pharmacokinetics, he was involved in partnership-related business of international development department, research and development planning department, etc., including establishment of a joint venture with overseas companies. Subsequently, he worked in the technology transfer department of RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), a regenerative medicine venture, Bayer Yakuhin, a drug discovery venture, and he established a personal office. He has engaged in business development and licensing work for 40 years, and now, based on his experience and networks, he is supporting business development activities, such as licensing agreements and joint research of domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies/ventures. He provides comprehensive support services ranging from looking for appropriate partners, preparing the draft of contract outline, contract negotiation, and alliance management with partners after the partnership agreement. Especially, based on experience of practicing on both sides of venture and pharmaceutical companies, he keeps in mind providing informative advice and proposals for specific action plans.

keiji Asada

Amenichi Consulting, LLC, CEO

Graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Currently, serving as the CEO of Amenichi Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in regulatory compliance (FDA) and marketing support for companies entering the U.S. market, particularly in the fields of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and regenerative medicine products. With extensive industry experience and expertise, he assists clients in developing business plans, securing funding, and establishing operational structures. Additionally, he provides comprehensive support, from the formulation to the execution of business strategies, to help clients enhance their competitiveness. Furthermore, he leverages his network to match clients with the most suitable business partners. With a global perspective, he offers customized services tailored to the needs of each client, aiming for sustained growth and success. Amenichi was established in 2018 and has supported over 50 companies since its inception.

Hiroyuki Hasegawa

Director of Life Science, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.

He graduated with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University. In 1994, he joined Daiichi Seiyaku Company (current Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited) and was in charge of the areas of infectious diseases and cancers in the Department of Post-marketing Surveillance. In 2004, he joined UFJ Capital Co., Ltd. (current Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd.), where he served as an analyst and capitalist. From 2013, he made an attempt to use open innovation for the Development of Emerging Technologies (OiDE) Fund for the purpose of nurturing outcomes from academia-launched research to become the fundamental technology for drug discovery in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited(liquidated in 2023).Since the first fund in 2017, we have been promoting investment activities using a total of 50 billion yen, including the "Mitsubishi UFJ Life Science Fund No. 4" (20 billion yen).Currently, he holds the position of outside director at Kamuipharma, GAIA Biomedicine, and Luxonus Co. Ltd., as well as serving as a fellow for collaboration between industry and academia at Kyoto University Medical Science and Business Liaison Organization.