Moderator:
KUBOTA, Aya
Editor-in-Chief, Nikkei Biotechnology & Business
Ms. Kubota graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in 2002, and joined Nikkei BP. As a reporter for Nikkei BioBusiness and Nikkei Biotechnology & Business, she covered Japanese bio-healthcare industry. Since 2009, as a reporter for Nikkei Medical targeted at medical doctors, she covered on end-of-life care, the H1N1 influenza, the Great East Japan Earthquake, and others. From January 2014, she served as the deputy editor of Nikkei Biotechnology & Business, and assumed the current position from April 2023. She has covered the diversification of modalities in the pharmaceutical industry.
Paneliests:
YOKOI, Yuma, MD, PhD
Senior Director-Medical in Neuroscience, Japan Drug Development and Medical Affairs Eli Lilly Japan K.K., 2022 Scholar (Cohort 8)
Dr. Yuma Yokoi joined Eli Lilly Japan in April 2024 as Senior Director-Medical for Neuroscience Development and Medical Affairs. He currently supports multiple neuropsychiatric assets in the development phase and medical affairs activities for a newly approved drug. Prior to joining Eli Lilly, he worked at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry and the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency as a clinical research/medical education specialist and clinical reviewer, respectively. Additionally, he received multiple governmental and public grants to conduct observational and interventional clinical studies for patients in the dementia spectrum. He is board-certified in Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry and is a designated psychiatrist in Japan.
NISHIMURA ,Yukika
Deputy Manager, Division of Translational and Clinical Research Center, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), 2016 Observer (Cohort 4)
Ms. Yukika Nishimura serves as the Deputy Manager at the Division of Translational and Clinical Research Center, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), where her office supports Translational and Clinical Research Core Center projects and academia-launched medical startups. Prior to joining AMED, Dr. Nishimura was a Project Research Associate at the School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo and worked on practical research using functional brain imaging aimed at psychiatric diagnosis based on biological markers. Dr. Nishimura holds a PhD and MMS from the Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University and a bachelor’s degree from Keio University.
KASAI, Masaki
Review Director of the Office of Pharmacovigilance Ⅱ, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), 2023 Observer (Cohort 9)
Dr. Kasai joined PMDA in 2011 and has been mainly engaged in product reviews of regenerative medical products (cellular and tissue-based products, gene therapy products). Currently, he is involved in post-marketing safety monitoring of regenerative medical products and drugs from 2022. He has several years of international experience at the International Pharmaceutical Regulators Programme (IPRP), which facilitates the implementation of ICH and other internationally harmonized technical guidelines for pharmaceuticals. He has experience engaging in global discussions at the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) COVID-19 vaccines. He graduated from Gifu Pharmaceutical University with a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2011. The research topic of his studies was the development of treatments for spinal cord injury and the elucidation of the healing mechanisms.
KODERA, Reina
Deputy Director, Bio-industry Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) , 2024 Observer (Cohort 10)
Reina Kodera joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2020 and worked in the Policy Division of the Energy Conservation and New Energy Department, where she was involved in the overall management of renewable energy-related policies and energy conservation policies. She then spent her second and third years in a place called the Wind Energy Policy Office, New Energy Division, where she worked on human resource development policies, international negotiations (with the EU and embassies of various countries), and the establishment of domestic supply chains. From her fourth year to the present, she has been working as a regenerative medicine, cell and gene therapy manager in the bio-technology division, supporting various related R&D and drug discovery ventures. In particular, she has been working on the development and planning of policies to support the development of automated equipment and manufacturing infrastructure in the manufacturing sector, such as CDMOs.
SUGA, Mikiro
Senior Coordinator, Policy Planning Division for Pharmaceutical Industry Promotion and Medical Information Management, Health Policy Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW)