Penningtons Manches Cooper’s annual Life Sciences Conference 2026

Join us at our annual Life Sciences Conference, “Rewiring the legal protection of drug discovery: AI, data and innovation”, where our life sciences sector team, alongside industry experts, will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the discovery and development of new medicines.

Gain insights into patenting AI-generated drug candidates, contracting with AI providers and consultants, data protection in AI-driven clinical research, the EU’s overhauled exclusivity regime, and how investors are assessing AI-driven life sciences businesses.

Sessions include:

• Promise and complexity: AI’s double-edged impact on drug discovery
  With decades of experience across scientific research, drug development and life sciences ventures, Steven Zimmer, CEO and co-founder of Dark Matter Therapeutics, will explore AI’s extraordinary potential alongside the practical challenges, difficult questions and fresh thinking that will need to accompany its increasing influence on drug discovery.
• Patents and drug discovery using AI
  Dr Duncan Curley examines patent strategies for AI-generated drug candidates, including human contribution, disclosure and enablement.
• Contracting for AI: providers, procurement and consultants
  Rachel Bradley and Kathy Potter explore the key IP, data, liability and consultancy issues when procuring AI.
• Using AI to analyse clinical data: the privacy question
  Joanne Vengadesan examines the data protection challenges of using AI to analyse clinical trial and real-world data.
• Regulatory exclusivities in the brave new (EU) world
  Dr Amanda Easey considers the changing EU exclusivity regime and its implications for AI-accelerated drug development.
• Beyond the AI label: preparing a life sciences business for investment
  James Went explains how AI-enabled life sciences businesses can prepare for investment and avoid transaction delays.

Our half-day conference will begin with registration and coffee from 9.00am, and will conclude with lunch at 1.00pm, giving attendees the opportunity to network with our speakers and fellow guests.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Rich Morley or Vicki Cozens.