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.
