Biotechnology IP Advancement Center (BIPAC)

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin

In life sciences, technology is advancing with remarkable speed, and many cutting edge biotechnologies from just a few years ago can now be considered outdated. In order to optimally manage intellectual properties (IPs) in this ever rapidly evolving field, it is important to be proactive, to have a conscious and constant effort to keep updating the knowledge of the latest technological and legal developments.

To this end, we at Miyoshi & Miyoshi have established the Biotechnology IP Advancement Center (BIPAC) within our firm. The BIPAC aims to strengthen the firm’s professional resourcefulness in the latest technologies and IP laws in the life sciences sector through team efforts of the expert members, and utilize the fruits of the efforts for the benefit of enrichment of clients’ intellectual properties. The BIPAC is here to assist you in securing, protecting, and utilizing your life science-related IPs. We look forward to being of service to you.

November, 2023
MIYOSHI & MIYOSHI
Hidekazu Miyoshi, Chairman, Patent Attorney
Yuko Hara, President & CEO, Patent Attorney

MESSAGE

A mission of the BIPAC is to support life science-related inventions that have been created as a result of the wisdom and efforts of the researchers and developers and assist the process of introducing these inventions to the society. We use our deep knowledge in both intellectual property and biotechnology to achieve this mission.

We aim at advancement of our own ability as a team, to be able to position ourselves to provide the best IP assistance in any situations in the rapidly evolving biotechnology field, and importantly, we aim at becoming a driving force for advancement of our clients' intellectual properties.

If inventions are considered valuable seeds for well-being of humanity, the BIPAC will strive to be a fertile ground for the seeds to take root, grow, bloom, and bear fruit.

EXPERTISE

Having the backgrounds in a range of scientific researches ourselves, we take pride in our ability to absorb new technologies presented by innovative minds, not to mention our broad familiarity with life sciences in general. The members of the Center are also well-versed in particularly transformative areas such as oligonucleotide therapeutics, ADC (Antibody-Drug Conjugate) therapy, and CAR-T therapy.

PROFILES

Jiro YASUHARA, Ph.D., Patent Attorney
EDUCATIONB.A., Kyoto University, Ph.D., University of Washington SPECIALIZEDLife sciences, chemical sciences, pharmaceuticals
Dr. Yasuhara obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in a biological science and worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of MCB. He has been in the patent profession since 2009. He leads the Life Science team and chairs the Biotechnology IP Advancement Center in Miyoshi & Miyoshi. The focuses of his practice as a patent attorney include pre-grant and post-grant patent prosecution and opinion works in life sciences, chemical sciences, and beyond. He has built a reputation among international and domestic clients as a reliable and dedicated practitioner having keen understanding of the technology at hand and legal savviness, which are rooted in his unwavering enthusiasm for science and years of experience in this profession. Dr. Yasuhara has been a Visiting Professor at Tottori University since 2020.

Jiro YASUHARA, Ph.D., Patent Attorney

EDUCATIONB.A., Kyoto University, Ph.D., University of Washington
SPECIALIZEDLife sciences, chemical sciences, pharmaceuticals

Dr. Yasuhara obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in a biological science and worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, Department of MCB. He has been in the patent profession since 2009. He leads the Life Science team and chairs the Biotechnology IP Advancement Center in Miyoshi & Miyoshi. The focuses of his practice as a patent attorney include pre-grant and post-grant patent prosecution and opinion works in life sciences, chemical sciences, and beyond. He has built a reputation among international and domestic clients as a reliable and dedicated practitioner having keen understanding of the technology at hand and legal savviness, which are rooted in his unwavering enthusiasm for science and years of experience in this profession. Dr. Yasuhara has been a Visiting Professor at Tottori University since 2020.

Akira OGAWA, Ph.D., Patent Attorney
EDUCATIONB.Sc., Kyoto University, Ph.D., Osaka University SPECIALIZEDBiotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, polymers, chemistry
Dr. Ogawa received a B.Sc. in Biology from Kyoto University and a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from Osaka University. After postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany, the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center in Kobe, Japan, and the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases at Osaka University, Japan, he joined the Intellectual Property Cooperation Center (IPCC), the largest Registered Search Organization in Japan. As a Principal Member in IPCC, Dr. Ogawa prepared many subcontracted search reports as part of the JPO examination process. His specific areas of expertise included protein pharmaceuticals, including antibodies, cytokines, and their fusion proteins; cellular pharmaceuticals, including T cells and stem cells; and nucleic acid pharmaceuticals including antisense oligonucleotides and mRNA vaccines. He also handled interdisciplinary cases involving life sciences and bioinformatics. He joined Miyoshi & Miyoshi in 2023. As a patent attorney, Dr. Ogawa conducts pre- and post-grant prosecution in the fields of biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and polymer and organic chemistry. In particular, he specializes in prior art searches and analysis in these fields. He also advises international and domestic clients on all legal aspects of patent practice in Japan.

Akira OGAWA, Ph.D., Patent Attorney

EDUCATIONB.Sc., Kyoto University, Ph.D., Osaka University
SPECIALIZEDBiotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, polymers, chemistry

Dr. Ogawa received a B.Sc. in Biology from Kyoto University and a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from Osaka University. After postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany, the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center in Kobe, Japan, and the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases at Osaka University, Japan, he joined the Intellectual Property Cooperation Center (IPCC), the largest Registered Search Organization in Japan. As a Principal Member in IPCC, Dr. Ogawa prepared many subcontracted search reports as part of the JPO examination process. His specific areas of expertise included protein pharmaceuticals, including antibodies, cytokines, and their fusion proteins; cellular pharmaceuticals, including T cells and stem cells; and nucleic acid pharmaceuticals including antisense oligonucleotides and mRNA vaccines. He also handled interdisciplinary cases involving life sciences and bioinformatics. He joined Miyoshi & Miyoshi in 2023.
As a patent attorney, Dr. Ogawa conducts pre- and post-grant prosecution in the fields of biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and polymer and organic chemistry. In particular, he specializes in prior art searches and analysis in these fields. He also advises international and domestic clients on all legal aspects of patent practice in Japan.

Yusuke YAMAZUMI, Ph.D.
EDUCATIONB.Sc., Ph.D., The University of Tokyo SPECIALIZEDMolecular Biology, Immunology, Oligonucleotide therapeutics, aging, cancer, microbiome
Dr. Yamazumi received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo. He worked as a researcher in life sciences for about 20 years at the University of Tokyo. As a post-doctoral fellow, he discovered novel molecular mechanisms of the development of allergic asthma (Yamazumi et al., 2016 Cell Reports). On the basis of the findings, he developed a novel drug for the treatment of severe asthma and acquired patents for the drug (US11279935). He collaborated with a start-up company, as an advisor, to advance the development of that drug, and they have presently completed Phase I trial. Subsequently, as an assistant professor, he shifted his research focus and led research projects on the molecular mechanisms of diverse biological phenomena, such as aging, cancer, and microbiome. He joined Miyoshi & Miyoshi in 2023. He is well-versed in intellectual property strategies in the Japanese academia and has expertise in launching academic startups.

Yusuke YAMAZUMI, Ph.D.

EDUCATIONB.Sc., Ph.D., The University of Tokyo
SPECIALIZEDMolecular Biology, Immunology, Oligonucleotide therapeutics, aging, cancer, microbiome

Dr. Yamazumi received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo. He worked as a researcher in life sciences for about 20 years at the University of Tokyo. As a post-doctoral fellow, he discovered novel molecular mechanisms of the development of allergic asthma (Yamazumi et al., 2016 Cell Reports). On the basis of the findings, he developed a novel drug for the treatment of severe asthma and acquired patents for the drug (US11279935). He collaborated with a start-up company, as an advisor, to advance the development of that drug, and they have presently completed Phase I trial. Subsequently, as an assistant professor, he shifted his research focus and led research projects on the molecular mechanisms of diverse biological phenomena, such as aging, cancer, and microbiome. He joined Miyoshi & Miyoshi in 2023.
He is well-versed in intellectual property strategies in the Japanese academia and has expertise in launching academic startups.

Contact

Toranomon Kotohira Tower 1-2-8, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 JAPAN
Phone: +813-3504-3075, E mail: bipac@miyoshipat.co.jp