In this recently published op-ed in CanadianSME, Conscience’s Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer, Richard Gold, and CEO, Peng Fu, call for biopharma SMEs to rethink their reliance on patents as they adopt AI. They argue that traditional patent-first IP strategies are increasingly misaligned with how AI actually works — because machine learning depends on broad data sharing, not closed silos. Instead, the authors highlight the need for more balanced IP portfolios rooted in regulatory exclusivities, know-how, and other forms of defensibility that are more compatible with sharing. This perspective reflects Conscience’s mission: creating pathways for developing affordable medicines through open science, and offering viable alternatives to the traditional patent-based model in drug discovery. It’s also why Conscience runs programs like OSAS — to help organizations get expert support in building IP strategies that advance their science and their business goals.
