Announcing 2023 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS) Honors Dr. Corey Goodman with the 2023 K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

South San Francisco, CA - The Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS) proudly announces Dr. Corey Goodman as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences, commemorating the 10^th anniversary of this honored distinction. This esteemed award recognizes Dr. Goodman's outstanding contributions to science, education, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. The award will be presented during the 2023 BioPacific Conference on October 28th, 2023, at the South San Francisco Convention Center.

Dr. Corey Goodman

A celebrated figure in the scientific community, Dr. Corey Goodman's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. He obtained his B.S. from Stanford University and earned his Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. He spent 25 years as a Professor of Biology at Stanford and a Professor of Neurobiology at Berkeley where he was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, co-founder of the Wills Neuroscience Institute, and achieved an h-index of 131. Dr. Goodman is currently the Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience at Berkeley.

He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and American Philosophical Society, and a recipient of many honors, including the Alan T. Waterman Award, Canada Gairdner Biomedical Award, March-of-Dimes Prize, and Gruber Prize in Neuroscience.

Dr. Goodman's achievements extend beyond academia. He transitioned from research to the biotechnology industry, bridging the gap between scientific discoveries and impactful medicines. He co-founded eight biotech companies, notably Exelixis being the first one; he served as the CEO of Renovis, leading the company to go public and achieve a successful acquisition by Evotec. At Pfizer, he was President of the Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center and a member of the executive leadership team.

As Managing Partner of venBio, a venture capital firm he co-founded, Dr. Goodman fosters groundbreaking scientific advancements. He chairs the Boards of leading biotechnology companies like ALX Oncology, Tallac, Axonis, Attralus, MindRhythm, Axent, and Insamo. Additionally, he is a valued member of the Boards of NFlection and FogPharma. He chaired Labrys Biologics, a company he founded, until its acquisition by Teva. The Labrys drug, called Ajovy, is a CGRP antibody for chronic migraine that was approved by the FDA in 2018.

His commitment to public service is commendable. As the former Chair of the California Council on Science and Technology, Dr. Goodman provided invaluable guidance to the Governor and State Legislature. He also served as the former Chair of the National Research Council's (NAS) Board on Life Sciences, advising the Federal Government on critical matters.

CABS honors Dr. Corey Goodman's exceptional accomplishments and profound impact on the life sciences industry and academia. His visionary leadership, groundbreaking research, and dedication to healthcare have left an indelible mark on the scientific community.

For media inquiries and press registration for the award ceremony, please contact: info@cabsweb.org

About CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

The CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences is an esteemed annual recognition presented to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the fields of life sciences and the biopharmaceutical industry including outstanding scientific findings, recognized efforts in promoting life science education and initiatives in improving life science community, and those who bring therapeutic breakthroughs to the market and improve healthcare and quality of life.

Candidates eligible for this award must be nominated by an active member of CABS. Selection criteria are based on candidate’s accomplishments in life sciences and contribution to the life science community, including one or all of the following:

• Proven achievements in therapeutic breakthroughs (including discovery, process, or clinical development), diagnostics or research reagent/equipment markets.

• Significant contribution to the promotion of academic and industrial R&D in biomedical sciences and applications.

• Significant contribution to the CABS community and promotion of international collaborations in life sciences.

The CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences aims to celebrate and honor exceptional individuals whose achievements and commitment have not only expanded the frontiers of life sciences but have also positively impacted global healthcare and well-being.

About Dr. Kenneth Fong

Dr. Kenneth Fong has spent the last 39 years in the biotech industry after completing his academic pursuit in biomedical research.

He is best known for founding the biotech company, Clontech in 1984 which he built into one of the largest biomedical tool companies founded by an Asian American in the US (400 employees including 65 PhD scientists). Clontech was acquired by Becton Dickinson in 1999 and Ken has continued his career as a Venture capitalist with Kenson Ventures that he founded. He has since cultivated 12 highly successful entrepreneurs, advising them and working with them on the growth of their companies.

Currently, he sits on the board of 4 biotech companies and he was intimately involved with the M/A and IPO of more than 15 companies that are worth more than $7 billion. These companies range from research tools, medical diagnostics and drug development. In almost all cases, Dr. Fong has been instrumental in providing strategies for sustainable growth, value creation and liquidity. Those successful entrepreneurs have moved on to assume leadership in other start-up and mid-sized companies, which in turn led to a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Ken has held a number of leadership positions over the years. He served as the President of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in North America (2006-2007) and President of the Bay Area Asian American Manufacturers' Association (AAMA, 1987). He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the California State University System (2006-2013). His philanthropic interests include scholarships to San Francisco State University, the Kenneth Fong-Hearst endowed scholarships to the CSU system and 40 student scholarships to Peking University. In 2003, he was involved with establishing the Fong Optometry and Medical library at UC Berkeley, and more recently an endowed professorship at Stanford University and a technology translation endowed fund at San Francisco State University.

Ken obtained his PhD from Indiana University and his post-doctoral studies at UCLA & NIH.

Past recipients of CABS K. Fong Awards

2022: Dr. Scott Liu, Founder and CEO of HanchorBio, for his outstanding and pioneering contribution to the development of multiple biologic products from research to launch.

2021:  Dr. John O. Link, Vice President of Gilead Sciences for his work on the drug discovery of Hepatitis C inhibitors and the HIV Capsid Inhibitor; and Dr. Xian-Ping Lu, Chairman, CEO of Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co. LTD, for their extraordinary achievements in research, innovation and entrepreneurship. 

2019:  John V. Oyler, Chairman, Co-Found and CEO of BeiGene, for his entrepreneurship and business leadership to establish BeiGene as a world-class biopharmaceutical company.

2018: Dr. Yuling Luo, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Alamar Biosciences (formerly the founder & CEO of Advanced Cell Diagnostics, ACD), and Dr. Guoliang Yu, Executive Chairman of Crown Bioscience, for their successful serial entrepreneurship in the life science business.  

2017: Dr.Yinxiang Wang, Co-founder and CSO of Beta Pharma, for his role in leading development and commercialization of Conmana^®, the first small molecule oncology drug specifically targeting cancer cells that was completely developed in China; and Dr. Edgar Engleman, for his pioneering research that was the basis of the Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) prostate cancer vaccine, the first active immunotherapy for cancer to be approved by the FDA.

2016: Dr. Gerald Chan, Co-founder of Morningside, for his extraordinary vision and leadership in cultivating a generation of successful entrepreneurs and life sciences companies.

2015: Dr. Irving Weissman, Professor of Stanford University, for his pioneering work in stem cell research.

2014: Dr. Ge Li, Founder and CEO of Wuxi Apptec, for pioneering and shaping the CRO business model in China; and Dr. Hing L. Sham, formerly of Abbott for his leading role in the discovery of life-saving HIV protease inhibitors, ritonavir and Iopinavir.

2013: Dr. Peter Hirth of Plexxikon & Sugen for his pivotal role in advancing 4 successful drugs to the market; and Dr. Jean Cui, formerly of Pfizer for her role as the lead designer and investigator of crizotinib, a successful kinase inhibiting drug used in personalized medicine.

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South San Francisco Convention Center

Welcome to the CABS 2023 BioPacific Conference

CABS 2023 BioPacific Conference

Collaboration, Acceleration, Breakthrough, & Success

                             - 25 Years of CABS

CABS is pleased to host the 2023 BioPacific Conference(aka the CABS 24th Annual Conference).

Date/Time: 8:00AM - 6:00PM PT on Saturday, Oct 28, 2023. 

Location: South San Francisco Convention Center, 255 S Airport Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Limited sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact fundraising@cabsweb.org.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Chinese American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society (CABS).  As we reflect on our accomplishments, the sky of the biopharmaceutical industry is clouded with some pressing questions. What is the trend of drug discovery when the low-hanging fruits of single targets have already been picked? As ChatGPT has become an instantaneous household name, how is the industry going to harness the soaring power of generative AI to boost its growth? How and where are the investors going to invest in a season of capital scarcity? What are the best pieces of advice for career development in a time with no shortage of turbulence? The 2023 BioPacific Conference, with its stellar assembly of speakers/panels, would like to have these critical questions addressed. Here is a list of highlights of the 2023 BioPacific Conference:

• Celebration of 25 years of remarkable community services of CABS in the birthplace of biotech.

• Winner of the 2023 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences: Dr. Corey Goodman

• Keynote address: "Multispecific Medicines for The Future" by Dr. Raymond Deshaies, who pioneered PROTAC. 

• Keynote address: “De Novo Protein Design of Functional Proteins” by Dr. William DeGrado, who coined the term “de novo protein design” himself.

• Cutting-edge technologies, such as gene editing, oral peptide, and innovative platform of cell therapy, in drug discovery and development, discussed by leading experts.

• Investment strategies in biopharmaceutical industry in a challenging and uncertain time.

• Role of artificial intelligence in drug discovery and development.

• Career advice from past CABS presidents, all leaders and veterans of the industry.  

• Uncovering potential solutions and opportunities by networking with tens of speakers/panelists, business partners, and hundreds of attendees.

Confirmed Speakers

Agenda (to be updated)

Registration Fees 

Registration online as early as possible is highly recommended. 

The registration on October 28, 2023 and on-site will be $150.

South San Francisco Convention Center, 255 S Airport Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Become a sponsor for CABS 2023 BioPacific Conference

We are honored to host the 2023 BioPacific Conference(aka the CABS 24^th Annual Conference) on October 28^th, 2023 (Saturday). 

The theme of the conference is "Collaboration, Acceleration, Breakthrough, & Success - 25 Years of CABS". 

Over 600 attendees are expected globally, from the life science and Biopharmaceutical industries. We are also offering sponsorship opportunities, please contact fundraising@cabsweb.org for more information.

please contact fundraising@cabsweb.org or visit https://www.cabsweb.org/sponsors/ (or scan the QR code below)for more information.

South San Francisco Convention Center

Keynote Speakers Announcement for CABS 2023 BioPacific Conference

Drs. Ray Deshaies and William DeGrado: Keynote Speakers at the 2023 BioPacific Conference

South San Francisco, CA – The Chinese American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society is delighted to unveil Dr. Raymond Deshaiesand Dr. William DeGrado as keynote speakers of the upcoming 2023 BioPacific Conference. The event will take place at the South San Francisco Convention Center on October 28th, 2023.

Dr. Raymond Deshaiesholds the position of Senior Vice President of Global Research at Amgen. In his lecture titled "Multispecific Medicines for the Future," Dr. Deshaies will delve into the challenges, opportunities, and Amgen's innovative approaches in developing the next generation of multispecific small molecule and biologic medicines. 

Dr. William DeGradois a distinguished Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California San Francisco. In his lecture titled "De novo Protein Design of Functional Proteins," Dr. Degrado will share his profound insights on the remarkable strides made in creating predictable protein structures and functions. 

The 2023 BioPacific Conference promises a convergence of groundbreaking ideas, pioneering research, and networking opportunities. This event is an invaluable occasion for professionals and enthusiasts to engage with these distinguished experts and explore the cutting-edge advancements shaping the future of bio/pharmaceuticals.

For media inquiries and press registration, please contact: info@cabsweb.org

About Dr. Raymond Deshaies

Dr. Raymond Deshaies

Raymond Deshaies, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President of Global Research at Amgen. Prior to joining Amgen, Dr. Deshaies served as a professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and an executive officer in Caltech’s Division of Biology and Biological Engineering.

He was also an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He has published over 150 papers on various subjects including discoveries of Sec61 translocon, cullin–RING ubiquitin ligases, and proteolysis-targeting chimeric molecules (Protacs). 

In addition to his academic work, Deshaies co-founded Proteolix in 2003. In 2011, he co-founded Cleave Therapeutics.

Deshaies holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Sciences. In 2022, Fierce Pharma named Deshaies as one of the most influential people in biopharma. He received the 2023 Jacob and Louise Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine along with Yale University professor, Craig Crews, for their pioneering work on PROTACs, or proteolysis targeting chimeras.

About Dr. William DeGrado

Dr. William DeGrado

Dr. William (Bill) DeGrado’swork focuses on the design of small molecule drugs, peptides, and proteins to address biological and mechanistic questions. 

Since 2011, Bill has been a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, where he is also a member of the Cardiovascular Research Institute and an adjunct member of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases. He is also a Chair Professor at Sungkyunkwan University (Korea) as well.  Prior to UCSF, he was a member of DuPont Central Research and DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company from 1981 to 1996, and the Raiziss Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania (1996 – 2011). 

Bill is a member of the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also a past President of the Protein Society. Bill was also a co-founder of Pliant Therapeutics, a company devoted to finding cures for fibrotic diseases (http://pliantrx.com).  Pliant went public in 2020. 

Some of Bill’s research interests include: de novo design of proteins and peptides; peptide mimetics; protein mis-folding diseases; structure/function of membrane proteins, including integrins and viral ion channels; small molecule drug design; and bioinorganic chemistry.

Special Shout-out to Our BioPacific Conference 2023 Sponsors

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South San Francisco Convention Center

Accelerating Drug Discovery and Disease Treatment Through Innovative Gene Editing Technologies

on line via Zoom

CABS 2023 summer BBQ Recap

On August 27th, 2023, CABS once again presented its annual extravaganza, the Summer BBQ, in a splendid manner! With a lineup of over two hundred and sixty people, we exceeded expectations once more. We not only provided delicious food but also a platform for new friends to connect, and most importantly, we upheld our commitment and contribution to the community, especially the life science community. Quoting a seasoned media figure's evaluation of this event, 'Here, even a 'barbecue chef' is a Stanford Postdoc, and the guy adding charcoal is a CEO... it truly demonstrates what diversity in talent means'.

We would like to express our gratitude to the more than two hundred guests who attended, the past presidents of CABS, including the founding president, for their on-site support, and the sponsorship from Biocytogen, Sino Biologics, and SALA Homes & Associates. We also want to thank the two co-chairs from the Social Life Committee, and, of course, our most lovely forty volunteers.

        

Thanks a zillion to our sponsors

city boothbay park; Boothbay Ave &, Edgewater Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404

CABS 2023 Summer BBQ

Don't miss out on this sizzling summer event! Grab your family and friends, and let's BBQ together!

Thanks to our sponsors:

city boothbay park; Boothbay Ave &, Edgewater Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404

Notification: 2023 CABS Job Fair is cancelled

We regret to inform you that we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming job fair that was scheduled to be held on 06102023. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this may cause you, and we sincerely regret not being able to proceed as planned. 

Thank you for being a valued member of our community.

Are you looking for new talents to join your team? Would you like to meet your potential employees face to face?

CABS Business and Career Development Committee is offering your company a FREE opportunity to recruit new talents. The in-person job fair will bring job seekers and employers together.

To participate, please fill in this form or scan the QR code below.

Please also post your company’s current open positions on http://www.cabs-system.com/ by May 20.

For sponsorship opportunity or participation for this in-person event please email to fundraising@cabsweb.org

Q-Bay Center at 160 E Tasman Dr., San Jose

Accelerating the Development and Manufacturing of Drugs in Various Modalities

Suite 280, 1633 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA 94010

ADVANCING HEALTHCARE THROUGH INNOVATION

Q Bay Center (160 E Tasman Dr, San Jose, CA 95134)

RECAP of CABS 2023 CAN (Career Advisory Network) Program Kickoff Meeting

Since being established in 2010, the Career Advisory Network (CAN) Program has become one of the major annual events of CABS. CAN is a mentoring program hosted by the Business and Career Development (BCD) committee of CABS. It is a direct one-to-one pairing mentorship program to guide mentees in their career paths including business development, entrepreneurship, and scientific career paths in both academia and industry. The kickoff meeting of the 2023 CABS CAN program took place on April 22, 2023, at Hanhai Silicon Valley Center. Fourteen mentors and 31 mentees attended the event.

Danielle Liu, advisor of the CAN program, emceed the kickoff meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Yuying (Kate) You, the 2023 CABS president, gave a brief introduction of CABS.

Subsequently Kay Tong, co-chair of BCD outlined the logistics of the program, the expectations for mentors and mentees. Kay also shared her thoughts on the importance of mentorship and how the CAN program can make a positive impact on both mentors and mentees. Her insights inspired attendees and set the stage for the rest of the meeting.

Dr. Shichang Miao, a successful entrepreneur and mentor, shared his career story and mentoring experience, and provided invaluable advices, such as whether and when to join a big or a small company.

Drs. Yuwei Yang and Hesong Sun, two former mentees, also shared their experiences and offered valuable advices, such as being open-minded, asking for clarification and providing timely feedback to mentors.

After the sharing session, mentors and mentees mingled together, strengthened old connections and established new ones.

Overall, the kickoff meeting was an excellent start for this exciting CAN program, and attendees left feeling empowered and motivated to achieve success. Special thanks to Jack Zhu and Dr. Xiaojie Chen, the coordinators of 2023 CAN program. 

For any questions, please contact the chairs of the CAN Program Xiaojie Chen (xchenselleck@gmail.com) or Jack Zhu (jackningzhu@gmail.com)

Finally, we sincerely thank the exclusive sponsorship from Porton Advanced Solution, a cell and gene therapy CDMO company.

Porton Advanced Solutions is a leading end-to-end gene and cell therapy CDMO, committed to accelerating the development and manufacturing of advanced therapies to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. With over 220,000sqft of GMP facilities, we offer end-to-end services that cover process development, analytical development, and cGMP manufacturing of viral vectors, plasmid, mRNA, and cell products.

1633 Old Bayshore Hwy STE 280, Burlingame, CA 94010

Strategically Mapping Your Career

Career Building Series

 

Strategically Mapping Your Career

March 25, 2023 2-4 pm

1633 Old Bayshore Hwy STE 280, Burlingame, CA 94010

●      Not sure if I should change my career path?

●      Why am I not going anywhere with my career?

Have these questions crossed your mind?

This workshop will provide you the tool to map out your career strategically.

1)    Learn to identify your career goals

2)    Map career timelines with lifestyle milestones

3)    Understand where to pivot strategically to advance your growth

This is a live in person workshop. You will walk away with tools that you can utilize for your career growth. There will be an opportunity for you to build your own road map

Speaker: Kay Tong, Head of Quality System and Compliance, Sana Biotechnology, Inc.

Panel: Sarah Kim Chen, Clinical Research Medical Director, Amgen

Panel: Yue Wang, Business Development Manager, Mission Bio

Registration:

https://www.cabsweb.org/registration/5205099/Strategically%20Mapping%20Your%20Career/

 

1633 Old Bayshore Hwy STE 280, Burlingame, CA 94010

CABS 2023 CAN (Career Advisory Network) PROGRAM OPENS FOR REGISTRATION

Dear everyone,

Greetings from the Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS), Business and Career Development committee!

Building upon the success of the CAN (Career Advisory Network) program last year, we have decided to launch the program again this year. We would like to extend a sincere invitation to you to join us as either a mentor or a mentee. The goal of CAN is to foster the development of future life sciences professionals and leaders through mentoring, skill enhancement, and networking opportunities. The program runs for a period of six months and offers one-on-one mentoring sessions, as well as small and large group networking events. Mentors and mentees are expected to meet once a month during the six months, either in-person or virtually.

Paring of mentors and mentees will be based on a variety of factors such as background, mutual interest, career goals, locations, etc. Program is scheduled to be formally launched on April 22 with a kick off meeting. Below is a tentative schedule:

●      Mentor/Mentee registration opens: Saturday, 3/11/2023

●      Registration closes: Saturday, 4/8/2023

●      Program acceptance, notification emails sent: Saturday, 4/15/2023

●      Kick-off event: Saturday, 4/22/2023

●      Mentoring groups convene: May to October

●      Graduation: Saturday, 11/11/2023

Please visit http://www.cabsweb.org/can/ to learn more about CAN program. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, please complete the forms below by midnight on Saturday, 4/8/2022.

●      MENTOR registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJTt6QPYrilFXSfw5sPvFMvMHINEK6WGtVyvZFLIs7lLEzEA/viewform?usp=sf_link

●      MENTEE application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsLofyKD9yHkcUFxN9RmjMi03Rtkm9fC5Dbwrb4GYP_SmN3w/viewform?usp=sf_link

 

If you have any questions, please contact the chairs of the CAN Program Xiaojie Chen (xchenselleck@gmail.com) or Jack Zhu (jackningzhu@gmail.com)

Best regards,

Xiaojie Chen and Jack Zhu

Chairs of CAN program

(images from 2022 CABS CAN program events)

●      MENTOR registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJTt6QPYrilFXSfw5sPvFMvMHINEK6WGtVyvZFLIs7lLEzEA/viewform?usp=sf_link

●      MENTEE application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsLofyKD9yHkcUFxN9RmjMi03Rtkm9fC5Dbwrb4GYP_SmN3w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Please use the link or QR code above to register as a mentor or apply as a mentee.

1633 Old Bayshore Hwy STE 280, Burlingame, CA 94010

Welcome to CABS 2023 Chinese New Year Celebration Party

You are cordially invited to attend 2023 Chinese New Year celebration party organized by the Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS). Please come to enjoy music, singing, dancing, Guzheng (Chinese zither), martial arts and other entertainments performed by local Chinese dancers and artists, experience authentic Chinese foods, having fun solving riddles, prize draw and much more.

Please mark your calendar, and your early online registration will be greatly appreciated. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating Year of the Rabbit together!

Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, 94040

2023 CABS Investor Forum Recap and Highlights

The 2023 CABS Investor Forum has been successfully held on Jan 11, 2023, in the 2023 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week. This annual forum was resumed after a hiatus of three years due to the COVID pandemic. The Forum was held in a hybrid format for the first time. Nearly 140 attended the in-person event held in the San Francisco office of Morrison Foerster, and more than 60 people joined through Zoom meeting.

Attentive audience of the Forum

The Forum was kick started by Carrie Wang, the President of CABS, with her opening remarks. She introduced CABS to the audience and highlighted some of  the CABS activities in 2022.

Carrie Wang, the President of CABS, giving opening remarks

The Forum consists of two panel discussions. The first panel was moderated by Janet Xiao, Partner of Morrison Foerster, and its theme was Trends, Opportunities, and Outlook for Biotech Investment. Five panelists brought in extensive and diverse backgrounds and insights into this panel discussion.

Moderator and panelists of the 1^st Panel Discussion

Christian Grondahl, Co-Founder and CEO of SNIPR Biome, is a veteran entrepreneur. He has built and supported many successful companies, including taking one company, Zealand Pharma, to IPO. Grondahl suggested being in focus in 2023. He believes spending the minimum money a company needs and focusing on the core experiments are the ways to survive. He also emphasized making therapies cheaper in the long run with new technologies.

Jim Krenn, Partner of Morrison Foerster, shared his insights as a lawyer that terms in the investment agreement have shifted as deals are more favorable to investors. As a result, there is more emphasis on control terms in addition to economic terms. He suggested several routes for capital, including existing investors, debt, and licensing & partnership.

Arthur Kuan, CEO of CG Oncology, is a very young and successful entrepreneur of his age. Having raised $120M in a recent round, he said CG Oncology still needs to cut pipelines and be more focused. He suggested that entrepreneurs think in the way investors do: make sure the return and valuation of the company make sense to investors.

Cheni Kwok, Managing Partner and Founder of Linear Dreams, is a very experienced consultant who has served over 60 clients in the past ten years. She saw in the past fundraising was too easy, and companies were not “smart” enough to use money. For example, some companies may have generated insufficient clinical data. She suggested that even it may be a hard time for the majority, opportunities still exist. For example, now may be the best time to recruit as many companies are laying off top talents.

Sean Kendall, Partner of ARHC Venture, shared his opinion and observation from an investor’s standpoint. As innovation continues and research breaks through, the underlying philosophy for investment has not changed. Existing portfolio companies may take a longer time to revive. However, some companies ARCH met before may need money, which will be a good time for investors. ARCH invests in both problems solving-driven and opportunistic ways. It believes in people and may invest in the same people in different projects.

The 2^nd panel was moderated by Alex J. Zhang, Managing Director of Lifespan Biolabs, and its  theme was about Growing Opportunities and Strategies for Biopharma Companies in a Changing World. Again, we had panelists representing a diverse spectrum of  biotechs: John Adamou, CBO of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group;  Oliver Kong, CMO of IASO Biotherapeutics; Neela Patel, CBO of Bonum Therapeutics; Eugene Wang, Founder and CEO of Help Therapeutics; and Allen Jiang, CSO of Xtalpi.

Moderator and panelists of the 2^nd Panel Discussion

The panelists discussed the keys to surviving and thriving under the current stock market and geopolitical environment, partnering trends, and promising technologies. The panelists expressed an opinion similar to that of the previous panel: companies over-raised and over-built in the past few years. It is a challenging environment but not a terrible market, as MNCs are still spending. The panelists all noted and echoed the following topics: managing cash flow, driving down costs through automation and technology innovation, creating value, and emphasizing the importance of assets rather than platforms.

Patel brought up a fascinating but rarely discussed topic. When Roche acquired Good Therapeutics, she decided to spin off the technology platform to Bonum and left the asset in Good to be tax efficient for its stakeholders. This tax strategy helped investors to make more money and invest in Bonum Therapeutics confidently.

Adamou mentioned two ecosystems relevant to all biopharma in China: Global to China and China to Global. China has an extensive healthcare market challenging to navigate. Companies like CSPC have vast on-the-ground sales teams and manufacturing capabilities. It is looking for new therapeutics to complement its existing generic catalogs. On the other hand, CSPC doesn’t have a solid ability to commercialize drugs in ex-China markets as MNCs do. It is also looking to out-license drugs and find partners in ex-China rights that it is developing.

Both panels stirred warm discussions in the audience.

Animated Q&A

Same as the past Forums, complimentary breakfast and lunch were generously provided by Morrison Foerster. The times at meals and coffee break provided ample opportunities for attendees to network and interact with themselves and the moderators/panelists. The successful continuation of the Forum is yet another example attesting the vision and mission of CABS to connect and serve the biopharmaceutical community.

CAN Graduation Recap

 

On January 14, 2023, CABS celebrated the first Career Advisory Network (CAN) graduating class post COVID.

 

CAN is a mentoring program in the Career and Business Development (BCD) group in CABS. It is a direct one to one pairing mentorship program to guide mentees in their careers including business development, traditional scientific career paths in both academia and industry, and entrepreneurship. This is a free program for CABS members. The mentorship program is only made successfully through hard work, dedication, persistence, and service of the mentors who in their busy schedules carve out time to guide the mentees.

 

The graduation opened networking opportunities and lite snacks.  The main event was the sharing of both mentors and mentees shared their reflections, experiences, and overall learnings.

 

Many mentors share that it was not only an opportunity for them to give back to the next generation, but also an opportunity for them to continue to learn from their mentees as well.  There were many key takeaways and lessons.

 

Mentees range from early careers to late career stages to newly transitioned career paths. They were overjoyed to have been paired with a mentor to guide them in their career growth, navigating strategically, and communicating successfully for the next phase of achieving their career goals. Many expressed continuances of the program in 2023 as well as some mentees opening to transition to be a mentor.

 

Gifts of appreciation were provided to both mentors and mentees. The closing of the celebration included lunch at HL Peninsula, Burlingame where many conversations between mentors and mentees continued to grow as part of the career networking opportunity created by the CAN program.

 

 

BCD looks forward to hosting another CAN program in 2023.

2023 CABS Investor Forum

Chinese American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society (CABS) is pleased to announce that 2023 CABS Investor Forum will be held on January 11th of 2023 in conjunction with JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. In the post-COVID era, pharmaceutical innovation, medical technology and healthcare continue to be the major areas of licensing and venture capital investment globally. This forum will feature two panel discussions joined by investors, lawyers, business development executives, and entrepreneurs. The topics will focus on the investment trends, licensing and strategic considerations, as well as new opportunities and challenges in life sciences.

This is a hybrid event FREE to both in-person attendees and virtual attendees. 

FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDEES

Kindly note that the registration through this website is for in-person attendees ONLY. If you register, please attend.  There are limited seats at Morrison & Foerster.  Each year many people are on the waiting list of CABS Investor Forum.

Registration and a photo ID are required to enter the venue (there will be a security check). Morrison & Foerster requires everyone entering the office to be fully vaccinated and masks are optional but strongly recommended.

Registration deadline for onsite attendees is 3PM, Jan 5, 2023 (Wednesday, Pacific time). First come, First serve.  We recommend that you register ASAP. 

FOR VIRTUAL ATTENDEES

If you are interested in virtually attending this event, please register via the following link. The registration is also FREE. 

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IQ5TDr49QoSgRMJWkYm1Cg 

[The above link is for VIRTUAL REGISTRATION ONLY]

AGENDA

8:00 AM –9:00 AM Registration, Breakfast and Networking

9:00 AM –9:10 AM  Welcome Remarks by Carrie Wang, President, CABS

9:10 AM –10:10 AM Panel Discussion #1: Trends, Opportunities, and Outlook for Biotech Investment

Moderator: Janet Xiao, Partner, Morrison Foerster

Panelists:  Christian Grøndahl, Co-founder and CEO, SNIPR Biome

Sean Kendall, Partner, ARCH Venture

Jim Krenn, Partner, Morrison Foerster

Arthur Kuan, CEO, CG Oncology

Cheni Kwok, Managing Partner and Founder, Linear Dreams

10:10 AM –10:30 AM Coffee Break

10:30 AM –11:30 AM  Panel Discussion #2: Growing Opportunities and Strategies for Biopharma Companies in a Changing World

Moderator:  Alex J. Zhang, Managing Director, Lifespan BioLabs

Panelists: John Adamou, CBO, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group

Alan Yide Jiang, CSO, XTalPi

Oliver Kong, CMO, IASO BioTherapeutics

Neela Patel, CBO, Bonum Therapeutics

Eugene Jiaxian Wang, Founder and CEO, Help Therapeutics

Michelle Xia, Founder, Chairwoman, President and CEO, Akeso Biopharma

11:30 AM –1:00 PM Lunch and Networking 

Introduction of Moderator and Panelists

Panel #1 

Janet Xiao, PhD, JD, Partner, Head of firm's China Life Sciences Group, Morrison Foerster LLP

Janet Xiao is the head of the firm’s China Life Sciences Group, and is among the very few IP attorneys in the world who are equipped with solid skills in global strategic IP management and knowledge about IP issues unique to China and Chinese clients. She focuses her practice on worldwide patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and strategic planning for life sciences companies with clients ranging from large multinational biopharmaceutical companies. She advises on patent and IP due diligence matters relating to various technologies, including antibody therapeutics, cell therapeutics, nanomedicine, gene therapy, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and nutraceuticals.

Janet works extensively in performing IP due diligence reviews in the contexts of cross-border VC investments, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing and manufacturing clearance for biopharmaceutical products. She has led hundreds of IP due diligence projects, helping some of the world’s most-sophisticated biopharmaceutical companies and investors assess potential risks and devise preemptive risk-management strategies for their product development and investments. She is noted for her in-depth knowledge of patent landscapes in the fields of cancer immunotherapy, gene editing, next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, antibody manufacturing, and medical devices.

Christian Grøndahl, PhD, Co-founder and CEO, SNIPR Biome

Christian Grøndahl received his Doctor of Medical Science, PhD and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from University of Copenhagen and his MBA from IMD, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Christian worked as a veterinary physician/surgeon and assistant professor before moving to pharma and biotech where he has spent the last 20+ years in R&D, Corporate and Executive roles. 

Before co-founding SNIPR Biome, he served as the CEO of Kymab Ltd. in Cambridge, UK, and was partner in the investment arm of The Wellcome Trust, London, Syncona LLP. Christian has been part of starting several companies. In addition to SNIPR Biome, this includes Freeline Therapeutics, Gyroscope Therapeutics, Quadrucept Bio Ltd., and Folium Food Science. Christian served as Executive Vice President, CSO and Head of R&D in Zealand Pharma and was part of taking the company through an IPO in 2010. Christian served in VP and Corporate VP roles with Novo Nordisk, heading up Cancer and Inflammation, Women’s Health, eClinical Development and Corporate Development and Strategy. Christian is the co-inventor on 20+ patents and patent applications licensed to public and private companies.

Presently, Christian serves as the Co-founder and CEO, SNIPR Biome APS (Copenhagen, Denmark), Co-founder and Chairman, QUADRUCEPT BIO Ltd. (Cambridge, UK), Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, FOLIUM SCIENCES Ltd. (Cambridge, UK), Chairman of the Board in TUBULIS GmbH, (Munich, Germany).

Sean Kendall, Partner, ARCH Venture

Sean Kendall focuses on identifying and evaluating new life science technologies and provides operating assistance to early-stage portfolio companies. He contributed to the formation and funding of Vizgen, AIRNA, Scale Biosciences, and Lightcast Discovery, and supported early efforts for Encodia, Singleron Biotechnologies, and Twist Bioscience (TWST). He is an active board member at Encodia and AIRNA, and sits as a board observer at Vizgen and others, having previously served as an observer at Twist. Mr. Kendall also supports ARCH Strategic Partnerships, where he has encouraged breakthrough innovations in electronics, sustainable materials, energy, and more via corporate partnering and investment.

A chemical engineer and synthetic biologist by training, Mr. Kendall was an early employee with LS9, Inc. (acquired by Genomatica), where he developed an automated experimentation and analysis platform for their synthetic biology platform. He next scaled commercial processes for Cobalt Technologies. Mr. Kendall is a recipient of the President’s Green Chemistry Challenge Award. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, where he worked with Jim Swartz on cell-free protein synthesis, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Jim Krenn, JD, Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP 

Jim Krenn has extensive experience representing private and public companies and investors in significant business transactions from formation through liquidity. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, and emerging company counseling for clients in a broad range of industries, including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, artificial intelligence, and agtech. 

Jim advises clients on private and public acquisitions on both the buy-side and sell-side across numerous transaction structures. He also counsels emerging and established life sciences and technology companies in equity financings and general corporate matters, and angel, corporate, and venture capital investors in investments in such companies. He has represented buyers and sellers in acquisitions and divestitures ranging from the low millions to over $1 billion as well as clients in over $2 billion in equity and debt financings ranging from seed rounds to $100 million-plus later-stage rounds.

Arthur Kuan, MS, CEO, CG Oncology

Arthur is Chief Executive Officer on the Board at CG Oncology. Having lost his father to cancer this is personal for him. Arthur was recognized in August 2022 by Business Insider’s 30 People Under 40 Who Are Transforming Healthcare. He was named a 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 featured honoree in healthcare. At Moffitt Cancer Center, Arthur serves on the IP Commercialization Strategy Committee. Arthur is a Founding Member of Ally Bridge Group, a global healthcare-focused investment platform, and played an active role in managing the fund’s portfolio of companies. Previously, Arthur was a member of Themes Investment Partners, a Private Equity fund where he focused on healthcare and biotech investment opportunities. He began his career in an operational role at Dinova Capital, a MedTech incubator fund, focusing on cross-border technology transfer and new company formation. Arthur received his M.S. in Biotechnology from the Johns Hopkins University and his B.A. in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Cheni Kwok PhD, CLP, Managing Partner and Founder, Linear Dreams LLC

Dr. Cheni Kwok is a senior biopharmaceutical executive with broad operational expertise who has executed over 200 transactions including M&A, strategic partnerships, licensing, divestitures, spin-offs and project financing. Dr. Kwok is the Managing Partner and Founder of Linear Dreams LLC, a management consultancy for the life sciences industry. The firm’s engagements include a broad range of business and corporate development activities for 66 biopharmaceuticals companies, contract research & non-profit organizations, research institutes and investors in USA, Europe, China, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore.  Prior to founding Linear Dreams, Dr. Kwok served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Poniard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Director of Business Development at Celera Genomics Inc., Associate Director of Business Development at Exelixis Inc.. and in various research management, technology assessment and alliance management roles at SmithKline Beecham plc (now GlaxoSmithKline plc).  Dr. Kwok received a bachelor's degree with first class honors in biotechnology from Imperial College London, UK, a Ph.D. in human molecular genetics from the University of Cambridge, UK and has earned the Certified Licensing Professional credential. At present, Dr. Kwok is serving on the Board of Directors of the Chinese-American Biopharmaceutical Society.

Panel #2 

Alex J. Zhang, PhD, MBA, Managing Director of Lifespan BioLabs

Dr. Zhang is Managing Director of Lifespan BioLabs, a life science accelerator and investor based in San Francisco Bay Area. He was the Chief Scientific Officer of Hanhai Holdings Group, and the CEO of Hanhai Silicon Valley, Inc., an early-stage investor and cross-border incubator for life sciences and frontier tech startups based in San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to Hanhai, Alex was the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Enverest, LLC., a Silicon Valley based innovation solutions and investment advisory firm, with branch offices in China and Singapore. Prior to founding Enverest, Dr. Zhang spent over four years at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he was responsible for 4 business development deals exceeding $10 M, and played a key role in several billion dollar acquisitions in IVD and MedTech areas. From 2001 to 2009, Dr. Zhang was a Senior Scientist at Tularik Inc. (acquired by Amgen in 2004), where he led drug discovery endeavors in oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases therapeutic areas. Over the past decade, Dr. Zhang has been advising a number of successful biotech, MedTech and digital health startups and VC firms based in Silicon Valley, including establishing and seed-funding of an iPSC cell therapy startup.

Dr. Zhang is a Board Member of the Chinese America BioPharmaceutical Society (CABS), a highly influential association with more than 4000 members and subscribers in the life sciences industry. He served a number of leadership roles in the Executive Council of CABS, including as the President in 2017-18. CABS is the largest and most active Chinese biopharmaceutical association in Northern America. Dr. Zhang was the Chair of the Organization Committee for 2017 BioPacific Conference and 2018 CABS Investor Forum.

Dr. Zhang received MBA degree at Cornell University, PhD in Organic and Analytical Chemistry at Texas A&M University, and BS in Chemistry at Shandong University. During his graduate research, he focused on the design and synthesis of therapeutic peptoids, as well as biological mass spectrometry. His research has led to publication of 17 peer reviewed articles and 4 patents.

John Adamou, MBA, MS, CBO, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group US

John Adamou is Chief Business Officer, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group US. John has leadership responsibility for the strategic partnering and business development activities across various therapeutic areas.  John has over 25 years of business development, strategic transactions, and scientific experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry at CSPC, BeiGene, Boehringer Ingelheim and Medlmmune. John has an established track-record of signed business development deals across a broad array of deal structures in various therapeutic areas in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Earlier in his career John held various research roles at MedImmune, SmithKline Beecham, and Allelix Biopharmaceuticals. John holds BS and MS degrees in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Guelph, Canada, and an MBA.

Yide Alan Jiang, MD, PhD, CSO, XtalPi Inc. 

Dr. Jiang is Chief Strategy Officer, Director of the Board of XtalPi, where he bears primary responsibility for the company’s strategy development including identification of growth opportunities, strategic planning and execution. XtaiPi is a company integrating quantum physics theory, AI and cloud computing positioned to be the next generation industry model for biopharmceutical and material Research & Development.  Dr Jiang joined Xtalpi with over twenty years of scientific and research management experience, most of it gained in positions of increasing responsibility at Genzyme and then Sanofi-Genzyme. Prior to joining XtalPi, he was the director of Asia R&D Strategy of the Sanofi-Genzyme R&D Center and in that capacity, he was responsible for the development of Genzyme Asia/China R&D strategy and led cross-functional R&D external collaborations and projects in Asia. 

Oliver Kong, MD, PhD, CMO and EVP, IASO Biotherapeutics

Dr. Kong joined IASO Biotherapeutics in September 2022, and is currently the company’s Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President.

Dr. Kong holds a doctor's degree from Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University and a master's degree of Science in Molecular Immunology from University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Dr. Kong has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in clinical development and medical affairs in various diseases or treatment fields such as oncology, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases. Before joining IASO Biotherapeutics, he served as the Chief Medical Officer and Corporate Vice President of Qilu Pharmaceuticals, the vice president of Clinical Oncology of Hengrui Therapeutics, the Senior Global Medical Leader of Global Medical Affairs of Novartis Oncology and the Medical Director of US Medical Affairs of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

Neela Patel, PhD, CBO, Bonum Therapeutics

Dr. Neela Patel is a scientist and business development executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in drug discovery & development, project & portfolio management, and pipeline development. She currently serves as Chief Business Officer at Bonum Therapeutics. Previously, as Chief Business Development Officer at Good Therapeutics she led the acquisition of Good by Roche for an upfront payment of $250M, and in parallel led the spinout of Bonum from Good in 2022. As Executive Director of Corporate Development at Seagen, she played an integral role in deal sourcing and execution of collaborations, licenses, and acquisitions to build the pipeline. Previously, Dr. Patel’s sourcing and diligence work at AbbVie in resulted in more than 25 executed deals. Dr. Patel spent the first 16 years of her career in drug discovery with positions of increasing responsibility, advancing small molecules and biologics from target ID and validation through IND filing at Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, SUGEN/Pharmacia, and Roche Bioscience. Over the course of her career, she has advised a variety of startup companies on BD and corporate matters.

Dr. Patel completed her post-doctoral training at the DNAX Research Institute after receiving her PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Humanities with Honors.

Eugene J. Wang, PhD, CEO, Help Thera-X Limited

Dr. Eugene J. WANG is the CEO of Help Thera-X Limited, which he founded in 2016. A gold medalist at University, Dr. WANG received his research fellowship training in Mount Sinai School of Medicine and worked as a clinical cardiologist at The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital, ranked in Top 20 in China) after earning his PhD from the University of Hong Kong and MD from Capital Medical University. A research scientist in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,

Dr. WANG strongly believes that innovative technology in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) development is essential to solve degenerative problems caused by aging-related intractable diseases. Under Dr. WANG’s leadership, Help Thera-X has grown to become a globally clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of first-in-class iPSC-derived cell therapeutics for heart failure and neurodegenerative diseases. Over the past 6 years, Dr. Wang has led the team to complete world’s First-in-Human trial of induced pluripotent stem cellsbased heart repair, which was reported by Nature in 2020. A serial entrepreneur with a passion for innovative ideas, Dr. WANG is an industrial leader in automatically robotic cell manufacturing system integrated machine learning and data analytics techniques. The multi-scale and high-performing industrial cell production operating to cGMP standards is the first in the world to meet the real-world clinical demand of iPSC-CMs in purity and amount for cell transplantation.

Dr. WANG also spearheads in shaping cardio-regeneration education and policy through his association with several committees in China such as: research fellowship in Science & Technology Institute of National Health Commission of China, Chair PI of China iPSC Model Bank for Intractable Diseases, Executive Director of China Stem Cell Industry Alliance, etc. Dr. WANG has been honored by prestigious awards including State’s Key Project of R&D Plan, National Natural Science Foundation, Leadership of Innovation Award of the Year, and Best Entrepreneur of Jiangsu Province. 

Morrison & Foerster LLP, 425 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Welcome to CABS 2022 BioPacific Conference (Exhibition Information)

Instructions for Sponsors

Greetings!  

Welcome to 2022 BioPacific Conference!

Please find the information below for setting up the exhibition booth.  

Exhibition Hall: Convene lobby and Inspire room #1, #2, #3 (Located at second floor of Marriott) 

Exhibition booth includes:

One exhibition table (size: 6’ x 30’’) and two chairs

Exhibition hours:  8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Booth set up time:  6:00 am - 8:00 am

Wrap up time:  6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 

Exhibition table assignment: 

Please see below for exhibition hall layout and your table assignment. 

Notes: 

1. Please register all the representatives from your company by November 8, 2022 so we can order enough lunch. 
2. Exhibition hall will be open at 6:00 am.  Please come on time to set up the booth. The attendee’s registration starts from 8:00 am. You can pick up your name badge at the Sponsors’ registration table.
3. It is highly recommended to have at least one of your company representatives stay at your booth from 8:00 am-5:00 pm (you can stay until 7pm, if you like) to introduce your products/services. 
4. Parking in the hotel parking lot is complimentary so no stamp is needed.
5. Free coffee and lunch will be provided. 
6. All sponsors are welcome to join the post-conference reception (5:00pm-6:00pm) and China Night session (5:30pm-8:00pm). 

Please direct any questions to:

Jessica Sun & Weixing Chen

Co-chairs, Alliance Management Committee, CABS

E-mail: fundraising@cabsweb.org

San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport, 1770 South Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402

Welcome to CABS 2022 BioPacific Conference

CABS 2022 BioPacific Conference

Resilience and Ingenuity -- Embracing Opportunities in a New Normal

CABS 2022 BioPac Conference programBook

Download Here

CABS is pleased to host its 23rd annual conference.

Date/Time: 8:00AM - 8:00PM PT on Saturday, Nov 12, 2022. 

Location: San Mateo Marriott SFO, 1770 S Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402

Limited sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact fundraising@cabsweb.org.

While everyday life is starting to normalize in many parts of the world despite ongoing COVID-19, economic and supply chain turbulences present both new challenges and opportunities for the life science and biopharmaceutical industries. This year’s conference will showcase success stories and best practices for innovation and improving the resilience of organizations. We expect to attract more than 600 attendees globally from the life science and biopharmaceutical industries. The conference features 2 keynote speeches, 7 podium presentations and 2 panel discussions, with major topics highlighted below. 

• Best practices for small molecule drug discovery
• A new class of oncology drug targets
• Winner of the 2022 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences
• Success stories from pharma entrepreneurs
• Building a robust drug candidate pipeline
• Pharma partnering and investment strategies
• New technologies for studying protein structures
• Targeting an oncoprotein previously thought to be undruggable
• Leveraging digital technologies to accelerate medical innovation
• China-US cross-border collaboration with large pharmaceutical companies

 Confirmed Speakers

   

Turning Point Therapeutics was successfully acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for $4.1 billion in 2022.

Agenda 

Registration Fees 

Registration online as early as possible is highly recommended. 

The registration on November 12, 2022 and on-site will be $150.

San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport, 1770 South Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402

CABS 2022 BioPacific Conference RECAP and HIGHLIGHTS

CABS 2022 BioPacific Conference

Resilience and Ingenuity -- Embracing Opportunities in a New Normal

CABS 2022 BioPac Conference programBook

Download Here

CABS is pleased to host its 23rd annual conference.

Date/Time: 8:00AM - 8:00PM PT on Saturday, Nov 12, 2022. 

Location: San Mateo Marriott SFO, 1770 S Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402

The 2022 Biopacific Conference, also known as the 23rd Chinese American BioPharmaceutical Society (CABS) Annual Conference, was held on November 12th, 2022 at San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport, California. As our first in-person conference since the COVID-19 pandemic, it had 42 distinguished speakers/panelists/moderators, 51 sponsors, and attracted more than 600 attendees. The amazing success would have not been possible without the contributions and participation of all the speakers, sponsors, attendees, organizing committee members and volunteers.

The theme of the Conference was “Resilience and Ingenuity, Embracing Opportunities in a New Normal.” The conference included 3 keynote talks, 1 K. Fong Award speech,1 fireside chat, 4 scientific speeches, 5 panel discussions, and 9 breakout room presentations, all by industry and academic leaders. These exciting talks and panels were grouped into 2 morning sessions, 2 noon sessions, 2 afternoon sessions, and the inaugural China Night session.

To commence the Conference, Dr. Kate You, President-Elect of CABS and Organizing Committee Chair of the Conference, gave warm welcome remarks and an overview of the agenda. Dr. Carrie Wang, President of CABS, then gave the State of the Society speech, highlighting the activities, growth, and achievements of CABS in the past year.

Morning Session 1 (Chair: Dr. Hesong Sun)

Dr. Dan Sutherlin, Senior Vice President of Small Molecule Drug Discovery at Genentech, presented the first keynote speech and first discussed the challenges in drug discovery, using Crohn's disease as an example. He went on with three vignettes to delineate some of Genentech's approaches to tackle the challenges: using variations of protein degradation technology to expand druggable space; using Cryo-EM to uncover structures to guide the optimization of drug candidates; and using AI to accelerate the pace of drug discovery process. Dr. Yibin Kang, professor at Princeton University, described a new class of cancer fitness genes that are critical for cancer metastasis but not for normal tissues. Thus, inhibiting these genes resulted in highly selective toxicity against cancer cells. Dr. Kang’s lab discovered metadherin as a poor-prognosis marker in a high throughput screening study, and validated the importance of this protein in tumor growth and metastasis in animal models.

Following the two exciting talks, Dr. Kenneth Fong presented the 2022 CABS K. Fong Award to Dr. Scott Liu, founder and CEO of HanchorBio Inc, Co-Founder and former CEO of Henlius.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Scott Liu pointed out that most monovalent and bivalent biologic drug candidates failed in clinical trials as they cannot block the interactions between the target protein and multiple ligands all at once. HanchoBio achieved the goal of simultaneous targeting with its novel Fc-Based Designer Biologics (FBDB™) platform. HanchorBio has also overcome the manufacturing challenges associated with producing such novel large molecules and can produce the designer molecules at mg/L concentrations. Multiple FBDB™ in HanchorBio’s pipeline showed promising in vitro and in vivo efficacy against lymphoma and solid tumors such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

Morning Session 2 (Chair: Dr. Guanghui Han)

The Fireside Chat within the session was moderated by Dr. Kenneth Fong with two outstanding entrepreneurs, Drs. J. Jean Cui and Yishan (Peter) Li, the Co-Founders of Turning Point Therapeutics. They talked about how the company got started, the key ingredients for its success, and shared their experiences with the audience. Dr. Kenneth Fong’s moderation was full of humor, and the entire Fireside Chat was joyous.

The following panel discussion of the session, with Dr. Ella Li as moderator, and Drs. Orrin Ailloni-Charas, Cheni Kwok, and Mr. Neil Littman as panelists, discussed the healthcare innovations from the perspective of investors and strategists, including their own decision-making process in healthcare investment and corporate strategy, the challenge and hurdle they’ve ever had, their thoughts on the most promising healthcare trend in next 10 years, and fun discussion about the most overhyped and underhyped technologies in the healthcare industry.

Noon Sessions (Chairs: Drs. Yanan Wang and Vivian Liu)

The two parallel noon sessions consisted of 9 lectures that showcased better tools and approaches - from manufacturing to patients' ends - for drug discovery. Dr. YangZhou Wang, CEO of Porton Advanced Solutions, emphasized the importance of a reliable CDMO with both manufacturing capabilities and sufficient capacity to the success of gene and cell therapy (GCT) products. Dr. Connie Sun, SVP and Global Head of BD, Small Molecules at Pharmaron, described her company’s integrated drug discovery services team that leads small molecule projects from hit identification to candidate selection. Mr. Charles Li, VP of BD at Pharmaron, introduced Pharmaron’s integrated platform of global clinical services that provide a one-stop shop for its sponsors in both US and China. Tracy Zhao, Sr. Scientist at ACROBiosystems, described how the selection of raw materials can have a huge impact on the success of GCT products. Dr. Xiaoxi Wei, co-founder and CEO of X-Therma Inc, introduced the application of convergent biomimetic nanoscience to solve the limitation of off-the-shelf products for advanced regenerative medicine. Min Park, Chief Business Officer at Aton Biotech – A Henlius Company, shared how to deploy smart platform strategies to accelerate molecules to markets. Dr. Michael Zhao, Q Bay Boston Partner, emphasized the importance of drug safety and discussed the role of investors in maintaining efficient systems for drug safety and good pharmacovigilance practice. Linda Zhou and Thomas Anderton, Partners of K&L Gates, introduced their career pathways and shared previous successful cases in the pharmaceutical field. Ilean Chai, Associate Director of BD at Biortus, shared a few examples of gene-to-lead generation pipeline in the context of fragment screening and SAR for drug discovery.

Afternoon Session 1 (Chair: Dr. Zhiyong Yang)

This session consisted of two talks and one panel discussion. Dr. Yifan Cheng, a member of National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an HHMI investigator, and a professor at UCSF, opened the session with his keynote speech titled “Structural Biology in the Era of Single Particle Cryo-EM.” Dr. Cheng first gave a historical overview of the development of the Cryo-EM technology, then shared vignettes in using the technology to solve structures of protein complexes, identify novel conformations of the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 with the assistance of different specific antibodies. Next, Dr. Jennifer Allen, Executive Director of Research at Amgen, gave a talk titled “A Day in the Life of a Medicinal Chemist – Discovery of Sotorasib.” In Dr. Allen’s eyes, every atom matters. She showed us how her team repeatedly applied the Structure-Activity-Relationships paradigm to optimize pharmacological properties of drug candidates that ultimately led to the discovery of Sotorasib, an FDA-approved KRAS G12C inhibitor.

This session ended with a panel discussion with Dr. Yan Wang as moderator, and Drs. James Jin, Ray Chen, and Mr. Yifu Liu as panelists. The panel gave an in-depth discussion on the role of incubator/CRO in the drug discovery process. First, the panelists shared their opinions on how to select the right incubator/CRO among a few hundred candidates in the market. Then they explained their annual budgeting for investing in new technology, reagents, and platforms to support drug discovery. Finally, they discussed how they tried to balance the investment in research and the need to achieve their revenue goal.

Afternoon Session 2 (Chair: Dr. Xi Fang)

Starting this session, Dr. Anjali Shukla, Lead of FDA Emerging Technology Team (ETT), introduced the FDA Emerging Technology Program. In this program, pharmaceutical companies can, prior to the regulatory submission, submit questions and proposals about the use of specific emerging technology to the FDA ETT group, which includes relevant representation from all FDA pharmaceutical quality functions. The ETT works in partnership with relevant pharmaceutical quality offices and assumes a (co-)leadership role for cross-functional quality assessment (including review and on-site facility evaluation or inspection) for submissions involving emerging technology. Dr. Amit Mehta, Vice President and the Head of BD at Genentech, provided an overview of Genentech’s approach to evaluate external innovation, strategic focus areas, and recent partnerships. Dr. Mehta also highlighted case studies for Asian-Pacific partnership and execution strategies.

The panel discussion “AI in Pharma and Life Science” of this session was joined with 3 global experts, Drs. Yang Shao, Abraham Heifets, Michelle Chen, that led the effort of applying AI to innovations in pharma and life sciences. Three critical topics were discussed in depth: the myths and challenges people may face when we try to introduce more and more AI applications to our industry; the added values AI would bring to our industry; and the latest FDA regulation regarding AI applications in our industry and its current and future impact on the industry.

The day program ended with closing remarks by Dr. Jessica Sun, Vice Chair of the Organizing Committee of the 2022 Biopacific Conference. Her remark “Today we are all volunteers!” resonated with the audience with a big round of applause.

China Night

This program is special at least in twofold: first, it was the first night session in the history of the Conference; second, it was the first time the Conference has trans-Pacific parallel sessions connected by internet. The program was the result of the close partnership among CABS, Fosun Pharma USA, BayHelix, and Hanhai BioLabs. China Night included one keynote speech and one panel discussion in Shanghai, and another panel discussion in San Mateo. The night program began with the welcome remarks by Mr. Deyong Wen, CEO of Fosun Pharmaceutical; and Dr. Carrie Wang, President of CABS.

During the keynote talk, Mr. Yuanyuan Qi, COO of Fosun Kite, shared the history of his company, from the company buildup, technology development, clinical registration, to the final commercialization of its first license-in. a CAR-T product. Mr. Qi elaborated how Fosun Kite’s successful business strategy and strong communications with the regulatory agency managed to make the first commercialization of a cell therapy product in China.

The first panel discussion (in Shanghai), with Dr. Wei Wu as moderator, and Drs. Guoliang Yu, Jinfu Yang, Dajun Yang, and Jun Zhu as panelists, had an insightful sharing on accelerating globalization by expanding the Chinese Biopharma Innovative Ecosystem. They advised decision makers to design up-to-date and long-term strategies and adjusting them continually during the implementation process. The second panel (in San Mateo), moderated by Dr. Alex Zhang and joined by panelists Drs. David Shen, George Wu, Dandan Dong, and Janice Zang, had an insightful discussion on the innovations of US-based biotechs and new developments in therapeutics. They shared entrepreneurial experience in the field of peptide technology, drug delivery, and target therapy. Innovative mechanisms and investment strategies in the US were also discussed in great depth.

To conclude, we would like to express our humble gratitude again to all speakers, sponsors, attendees, organizing committee and volunteers. It was your unwavering support and unquenchable passion for CABS and the biopharmaceutical community that rendered great success to the Conference. We look forward to seeing you in future events.

San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport, 1770 South Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402

ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2022

hybrid (Beijing and Online)

CABS Smart Partnering System is released

• Smart Partnering System (www.cabs-system.com)
  We are very pleased to launch an Integrated Partnering System to help our members to find new business connections and post/find job opportunities. You are encouraged to post business demand and jobs on our new Smart Partnering System before Nov 12, 2022 BioPacific Conference to increase the possibilities of business developments and hirings. 

  All the posts are free. 
  

  Please go to www.cabs-system.com to use CABS Smart Partnering System, on which you can: 

  • Post and manage your company’s business demands and job openings;
  • Search and explore other companies’ business demands with multilevel fine-tuned filters, which help people 
  • quickly locate the demands;
  • Search and explore job openings.

  You can find tutorials about how to use this system at www.cabs-system.com/how.

  For the best display quality, please access this system on computers.

  
  

  Smart Connection System (i.e. check-in system)

  When you step into a large conference, one hopes to interact with someone who shares a common interest.  Common interests may include potential collaborations, supportive mentorships, the perfect job opportunity or even the right fit candidate for the job. These interactions or potential opportunities are often lost due to limited time interactions or transparency opportunities at a conference.

  CABS has changed the missed opportunities to open opportunities with the newly launched CABS Smart Connection System.  This allows you the opportunity to connect and interact with peers indefinitely.  There are no more missed opportunities, but rather what are the new open opportunities.

  Scan the QR code to connect with conference attendees and also you can obtain the electronic program book. 

• Smart Connection System is a platform that CABS provides for BioPacific Conference attendees.
• On this platform, one can explore who attends the conference and make a connection to an attendee via email or phone number. 
• The system also provides you with a place to publish your professional profile. You can select “Do NOT publish my contact info” if you do not want to disclose your contact info.

Online

TAKING THE PULSE OF LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATION IN A CHANGING WORLD – Latest Trends in Fund Raising, Valuation, Cross-Border Partnership and Transaction

Agenda：

•   5:30-7:00 PM Pacific - Social networking

•   7:00-7:05 PM Pacific - Brief opening (Kate/Carrie)

•   7:05-7:40 PM Pacific - Presentation by Helen Chen

•   7:40-8:40 PM Pacific - Panel discussion

•   8:40-9:00 PM Pacific - Q&A and networking

This is complimentary event, registration is required.

During online registration, please write in note section or email cabs_icc@cabsweb.org if you plan to attend in person. Free dinner and refreshment will be provided at the event.

Zoom link will be provided after registration.

  

International Conference Room, 755 Page Mill Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (Morrison & Foerster)；

Announcing 2022 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

The Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS) K. Fong Award Committee is very pleased to announce that Dr. SCOTT LIU is the winner of the 2022 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences for his outstanding contribution to the development of multiple biologic products from research to launch.  We will honor Dr. Scott Liu at an award ceremony during the 22nd CABS Annual Meeting of the BioPacific Conference, on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at the San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport Hotel (1770 South Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402).

Scott Liu, PhD

Scott Liu is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of HanchorBio Inc., a global biotechnology company pioneering the development of next-generation immunotherapies. As a life-science entrepreneur and successful biotech company-builder, Dr. Liu was one of the global partners of Fosun International Limited and Co-founder, President, and CEO of Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc., a commercial-stage global biopharmaceutical company with the focus on high-quality, affordable, and innovative biologic medicines, listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (2696.HK) with a market value of over US$ 1.1  Billion. During his tenure with Henlius, Dr. Liu led multiple product development initiatives (over 30 biosimilars, novel monoclonal antibodies, and bispecific antibodies) and  successfully launched 5 commercial monoclonal antibody products in China and Europe.

Dr. Liu has over 30 years of experience in managing corporate development, strategic portfolio, equity, cGMP quality operation, and CMC regulatory affairs. He has been instrumental in the development of the Technical Guidelines for the Research, Development and Evaluation of Biosimilars to promote globalization of the biopharmaceutical industry in China. Additionally, he has participated in development of multiple biological medicines, including Orencia® (for rheumatoid arthritis), Vectibix® (for colorectal cancer), Hanlikang® (rituximab biosimilar), Hanquyou®/Zercepac® (trastuzumab biosimilar), Handayuan® (adalimumab biosimilar), Hanbeitai® (bevacizumab biosimilar) and Hansizhuang®  (serplulimab, novel anti-PD1).

Prior to founding HanchorBio and Henlius, Scott has previously served several executive positions such Vice President of Scientific Affairs at United Biomedical Inc., the Founding Director of the Biologics Quality Control Department at Bristol-Myers Squibb (Syracuse, USA), and the Director of Quality Analytical Laboratories at Amgen (Fremont, USA). Dr. Liu has authored or co-authored multiple scientific papers and has been an invited speaker in conferences with topics ranging from Biologics Process Development, Biomanufacturing, Oncology Biologics and Immuno-Oncology. He received his Ph.D. in biology at Purdue University and completed his post-doctoral training at Stanford University.

About CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences is presented annually to recognize those individuals who make significant contributions in life sciences and the biopharmaceutical industry including outstanding scientific findings, recognized efforts in promoting life science education and initiatives in improving life science community, and those who bring therapeutic breakthroughs to the market and improve healthcare and quality of life.

Candidates must be nominated by an active member of CABS. Selection criteria are based on candidate’s accomplishments in life sciences and contribution to the life science community, including one or all of the following:

• Proven achievements in therapeutic breakthroughs (including discovery, process or clinical development), diagnostics or research reagent/equipment markets.
  
• Significant contribution to the promotion of academic and industrial R&D in biomedical sciences and applications.
  
• Significant contribution to the CABS community and promotion of international collaborations in life sciences.
  

About Dr. Kenneth Fong

Dr. Kenneth Fong has spent the last 32 years in the biotech industry after completing his academic pursuit in biomedical research.

He is best known for founding the biotech company, Clontech in 1984 which he built into one of the largest biomedical tool companies founded by an Asian American in the US (400 employees including 65 PhD scientists). Clontech was sold to Becton Dickinson in 1999 and Ken has continued his career as a Venture capitalist with Kenson Ventures that he founded. He has since cultivated more than 10 highly successful entrepreneurs, advising them and working with them on the growth of their companies.

Currently, he sits on the board of 4 biotech companies and he was intimately involved with the M/A and IPO of more than 10 companies that are worth more than $3 billion. These companies range from research tools, medical diagnostics and drug development. In almost all cases, Dr. Fong has been instrumental in providing strategies for sustainable growth, value creation and liquidity. Those successful entrepreneurs have moved on to assume leadership in other start-up and mid-sized companies, which in turn led to a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Ken has held a number of leadership positions over the years. He served as the President of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in North America (2006-07) and President of the Bay Area Asian American Manufacturers' Association (AAMA, 1987). He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the California State University System (2006-13). His philanthropic interests include scholarships to San Francisco State University, the Kenneth Fong-Hearst endowed scholarships to the CSU system and 40 student scholarships to Peking University. In 2006, he was involved with establishing the Fong Optometry and Medical library at UC Berkeley, and more recently an endowed professorship at Stanford University and a technology translation endowed fund at San Francisco State University.

Ken obtained his PhD from Indiana University and his BS from San Francisco State University.

Past recipients of CABS K. Fong Awards

2021：Dr. John O. Link, Vice President of Gilead Sciences and Dr. Xian-Ping Lu, Chairman, CEO of Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co. LTD, for their extraordinary achievements in research, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

2019: Dr. John V. Oyler, Chairman, Co-Found and CEO of BeiGene, for his entrepreneurship and business leadership to establish BeiGene as a world-class biopharmaceutical company.

2018: Dr. Yuling Luo, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Alamar Biosciences, and Dr. Guoliang Yu, Executive Chairman of Crown Bioscience, for their successful serial entrepreneurship in the life science business.  

2017: Dr. Yinxiang Wang, Co-founder and CSO of Beta Pharma, for his role in leading development and commercialization of Conmana®, the first small molecule oncology drug specifically targeting cancer cells that was completely developed in China, and Dr. Edgar Engleman, for his pioneering research that was the basis of the Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) prostate cancer vaccine, the first active immunotherapy for cancer to be approved by the FDA.

2016: Dr. Gerald Chan, co-founder of Morningside, for his extraordinary vision and leadership in cultivating a generation of successful entrepreneurs and life sciences companies.

2015: Dr. Irving Weissman, of Stanford University, for his pioneering work in stem cell research.

2014: Dr. Ge Li, Founder and CEO of Wuxi Apptec, for creating and shaping the CRO business model in China and Dr. Hing L. Sham, formerly of Abbott for his leading role in the discovery of life- saving HIV protease inhibitors, ritonavir and Iopinavir.

2013: Dr. Peter Hirth, Plexxikon & Sugen for his pivotal role in advancing 4 successful drugs to the market and Dr. Jean Cui, formerly of Pfizer for her role as the lead designer and investigator of crizotinib, a successful kinase inhibiting drug used in personalized medicine.
online

Chinese Bioscience Association Annual Conference 2022

Crowne Plaza Foster City-San Mateo 1221 Chess Drive Foster City, CA 94404

PBSS Free Online Workshop: Immunogenicity of Biologic Drugs - Clinical Relevance case studies, Predictive Tools & Challenges with New Modalities

Free Online Workshop: Immunogenicity of Biologic Drugs - Clinical Relevance case studies, Predictive Tools & Challenges with New Modalities

Date: September 15^th - 16^th, 2022 @ 8:30 am - 12:30 pm (PST)

Venue: Online via Zoom by PBSS-SF Bay Area

Organization: PBSS
Details & Registration: https://www.pbss.org/aspx/eventInfo.aspx?eID=779

Online via Zoom by PBSS-SF Bay Area

ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2022

hybrid (Beijing and Online)

Antibody-based Drug Development, from R&D to Commercialization

Antibody-based drugs have revolutionized the treatment of many previously untreatable diseases, including solid tumors, hematological malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. Due to the complex nature of antibody-based drugs, there are unique development challenges associated with the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls(CMC) of biologics. CABS and Aton will cohost a seminar titled -Antibody-based Drug Development, from R&D to Commercialization on August 27th, 2022 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (PT). Join us and learn about the CMC development process from Investigational New Drug (IND) to Biologics License Application (BLA/market approval) from industry-leading experts.

Agenda

10:00 to 10:05 AM Welcome Remarks from CABS. Yan Wang

10:05 to 10:35 AM CMC Considerations during Drug Development and Commercialization. Wei Huang

10:35 to 11:05 AM From IND to BLA, CMC Considerations from FDA’s Perspective. Sandy Yan

11:05 to 11:35 AM From DNA to IND & Beyond: Considerations for Biopharmas to Outsource CMC to CDMOs. M. Tim Tian

11:35 to 12:05 PM Enable A Novel Therapeutic Antibody Clinical Trial in 12 months. Fan Chen

12:05 to 1:00 PM Panel Discussion and Networking Lunch.

This event will be available in-person and via Zoom. Please confirm in-person in “Notes” during registration

Suite 280, 1633 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA 94010

BioPacific Toastmasters Club Open House & 5-Year Anniversary Celebration

Have you always wanted to improve public speaking skills but don't know where to start?

Would you want to get a taste for public speaking in a relaxed, outdoor setting?

You are invited to the open house hosted by the BioPacific Toastmasters Club on Sat, Aug 20th, 2022, 10:00 AM-12:30 PM PDT at San Mateo Central Park.

You will hear wonderful speeches while enjoying the blue sky and fresh air. 

We will also celebrate our club 5 year anniversary. We invite all the past members or guests of BTPM to have a reunion party. You are welcomed to bring some snacks/food to share.

Please find more details and register at: https://forms.gle/VunfNE93sayskNnA6

San Mateo Central Park (50 E 5th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401)

PBSS Free Online Symposium: Advanced in Cancer Therapeutics

Free Online Symposium: Advanced in Cancer Therapeutics Date: August 17th - 18th, 2022 @ 8:30 am - 12:30 pm (PST) Venue: Online via Zoom by PBSS-SF Bay Area Organization: PBSS Details & Registration:  https://www.pbss.org/aspx/eventInfo.aspx?eID=777

Online via Zoom by PBSS-SF Bay Area

Calling for volunteers for Chinese-American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS)

Dear friends, do you want to develop your professional network and enhance your business profile?

Do you want to take part in shaping exciting events that for our life sciences community?

Do you want to hone your leadership and communication skills?

Do you want to make some friends and have fun?

Then come and volunteer for the Chinese-American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS)! CABS is a non-profit and completely volunteer-based organization dedicated to serve the life science community. It is headquartered in San Francisco and has more than 3,000 members and 20,000 subscribers. Over the years, the CABS have organized numerous events for members of the life sciences community to share knowledge, build connections, and advance careers, and for biotech companies to establish partnership and collaborations.

There are many volunteer options at CABS: (1) You can volunteer at single or multiple CABS event(s) such as CABS annual BioPacific Conference, science and technology seminars, social gatherings, etc. (2) You can volunteer for different CABS committees to facilitate the fulfillment of their tasks.

As a volunteer of CABS, you will enjoy at least following benefits: (1) Ready access to a comprehensive and tightly knitted network of professionals in life science and the biopharmaceutical industry. (2) First hand insight into how professional organizations are operated. (3) Free access to the events you are helping with. (4) Volunteers with demonstrated capacity and commitment with be considered to become a member of the CABS Executive Committee. Executive members will enjoy additional benefits such as one-year free CABS membership (worth of $30) and up to two terms of membership fees for a toastmaster club (worth of $90)!

For more information and to apply, please click the link to our online registration form https://forms.gle/pbp6nfL11SycmZvm6

CABS Executive Committee

Executive Presence

First impressions matter. According to a study conducted by the Harvard Business School, it takes just 7 seconds to form a solid impression on another human being. Over 50% of this is formed visually—observed through posture, appearance, dress choices, and the presence or absence of eye contact. 

In today’s ever-demanding job climate, your external presence affects future opportunities, professional connections, and how effectively you are able to influence others. It is therefore imperative to observe, target, and enhance personal image to one’s fullest capabilities.

Recipient of the Jane Iredia award, Lilly Cook has been working in the beauty industry for more than 30 years, leading and training professional stylists as a style counselor. Lead by Cook, this workshop will provide tools to enhance and develop your personal image—with an emphasis on external ornamentation, international etiquette, and other manifestations of one’s personality. 

1633 Old Bayshore Hwy #280

2022 Tax Season Seminar

How to prepare tax return after Biden’s tax proposal didn’t really passed as law. So, could we still enjoy Trump’s lower tax rate from his 2017 tax reform of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)? Our firm has developed a unique niche practice to handle these complicate scenario from this tax reform. Our firm’s managing partner Mr. Bin Zhai, CPA, CFP® from Zhai & Wang, LLP, will host a tax seminar and help clients to understand how to quickly and correctly finish their tax return.

Date: 06/11/2022, Saturday

Time: 2:00PM - 3:00PM

Location: Virtual Meeting

Topics Mr. Bin Zhai, CPA will cover are as following: 

1.      2022 tax rate and tax bracket updated

2.      2022 Tax Forms and Stimulus Related Benefits

3.      How much income can be exempted before tax kicked in: a deduction vs. a credit

4.      Investment capital gain tax rate has its own tax brackets

5.      Which areas are CA tax not conformed with Federal tax regulation

6.      How to make sure you can get Qualified Business Income (QBI) for 20% deduction on rental and business income

7.      Do you have to report foreign income, bank info and financial assets?

8.      RSU, ESPP and stock option selling strategies.

9.      Tax planning strategy under the current law

Topic: 2022 Tax Seminar by CABS
Time: Jun 11, 2022 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6145583019

Meeting ID: 614 558 3019
Passcode: CABS2021
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Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kexMYd6Rm7

Biography:

Bin Zhai, CPA, CFP®, MBA, and Partner: a twenty five-year practitioner helping dozens of small companies from startup to growth. Mr. Zhai specializes in tax planning and preparation in individual, trust and corporation as well as small business accounting, payroll and benefits. He also practices in financial planning, and wealth management for high net worth clients and business owners. He starts his career in public accounting firms in

California, including working with Mohler, Nixon and Williams, ranking as the fifth biggest accounting firm in the Silicon Valley. Bin Zhaireceived his bachelor 's degree in Accounting in 1989 from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in China, and earned a MBA degree concentration on Accountancy from California State University, Fullerton in 1993.

Virtual

CABS CAN PROGRAM OPENS FOR REGISTRATION

Dear everyone, 

 

Online

CBA Workshop VC panel discussion: Current and Future Challenges and Opportunities In Biotech Investment

The Chinese Bioscience Association, San Francisco (CBA SF) is delighted to invite you all to participate in our first activity in 2022. After enduring the hardships of the last two years of COVID-19, we have seen how Moderna and BioNT-Pfizer and Regeneron saved the world in 2020 by providing mRNA vaccines and antibody treatments to tackle the pandemic. However, investors are moving away from biotech stocks as COVID wanes. Today, their stock performance doesn't seem to reflect their success. In 2021, we faced a 25% collapse in 2021 and biotech stocks were down nearly 20% after the first month of 2022. One might ask “Do we expect to see this devastating fall turn around soon?” “How can startups raise their funds under this challenging environment?” “Which of the following is more intriguing to investors: the technology platform or innovative therapeutics?” “How easy is it to get the fundraising cross boarding under the current US-China climate?”

Our four speakers are experts who specialize in biotech, medical devices as well as cross-boarding investment. There will be some idea sharing and an exciting discussion. Please come to join us on Mar 26, 2022 at 3:30pm via Zoom. Registration is free.

CBA workshop.JPG

Zoom

2021 BioPacific Conference

                                                     

Oct 30, 2021  08:30AM-4:30PM US Pacific Time 

Meeting ID: 997 6447 7339

Passcode: CABS2021

CABS is one of the largest non-profit biopharmaceutical professional organizations in San Francisco Bay Area. We are very pleased to host our 22nd annual conference virtually on Oct 30, 2021. This year's conference theme is “Passion for Better Medicine - Leading Biotechnology and Innovation”. We are expecting to attract more than 600 attendees globally, from the life science and Biopharmaceutical industries. The conference features 2 keynote speeches, 19 podium presentations and 2 panel discussions. The covered topics include: cutting-edge science and technology including gene therapy, cell therapy and next generation cancer immunotherapy; patent and legal considerations in life sciences; latest developments in biopharmaceutical policies and regulations; cross-border investment trend and M&A deals in the life sciences field during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Highlight of 2021 BioPacific Conference 

• Targeted Cas9/gRNA delivery for potential in vivo genome editing
• New technology to develop drugs for previously undruggable targets
• Winners of the 2021 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences
• Machine learning for drug development
• Cancer immunotherapy in the post checkpoint Inhibitor era
• New technologies in cell therapy
• A first-in-class small molecular drug developed for HIV treatment
• Regulatory considerations for early cancer detection and precision oncology 
• Status review of COVID-19 pandemic
• Investment trend and deal discussions in biopharmaceutical industries
• IP and patent highlights in recent years

Click Here to Register on Zoom Conference

Click Here to Know About Our Speakers and Panelists

Click Here to Know About Our Speakers and Panelists

Agenda.pdf

Abstracts (PDF)

Morning Session
8:30 AM – 8:50 AM	Breakout Room Networking
8:50 AM – 8:55 AM	Welcome Remarks Carrie Wang, MD, President-Elect of CABS and 2021 BioPacific Conference Organizing Committee Chair
8:55 AM – 9:00 AM	State of the Society Yang Tian, PhD, President of CABS
9:00 AM – 9:35 AM	Keynote 1: Traffic of Cas9-gRNA Between Cultured Human Cells Mediated by Cell-Cell Contact Randy Schekman, PhD, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley 2013 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
9:35 AM – 10:00 AM	CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences Fireside Chat, Presenter: Kenneth Fong, PhD, Chairman, Kenson Ventures LLC Awardees:  John O. Link, PhD, Former VP, Gilead Sciences, Inc (Retired) Xian-Ping Lu, PhD, Founder, Chairman and CEO, ChipScreen BioSciences
10:00 AM-10:25 AM	K. Fong Award Speech: Reshaping Biotech Landscape in China Xian-Ping Lu, PhD, Founder, Chairman and CEO, ChipScreen BioSciences Co.
10:25 AM – 10:50 AM	K. Fong Award Speech: Lenacapavir: A Twice-Yearly Dosed First-in-Class HIV Capsid Inhibitor  John O. Link, PhD, Former VP, Gilead Sciences, Inc (Retired)
10:50 AM – 11:20 AM	Cancer Immunotherapy Trends and Highlights in the Post-Checkpoint Inhibitor Approval Era Gary Starling, PhD, CSO, Xyphos Biosciences, Astellas Pharma Inc.
11:20 AM – 12:00 PM	Panel Discussion 1: IP Considerations and Investment Trends for Life Sciences Session will cover intellectual property considerations for life science transactions, investment stories of new technologies, and discussions on a new company structure. Moderator: Janet Xiao, JD, PhD, Partner, Head of China Life Sciences, Morrison & Foerster LLP  Panelists: Chuck Comey, Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP Sean Cao, MBA, PhD, Managing Director, CBC Group Neil Desai, PhD, Founder & CEO, Aadi Bioscience, Inc
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM	Breakout Room Presentations  Room 0: How to Choose Key Reagents for CAR-T Cell Therapy Development  Teng Peng, PhD, Technique Application Manager, ACROBiosystems Room 1: Effective Use of Science in the FDA Regulatory Process  Bethany Hills, Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP Keunbong (KB) Do, JD, PhD, Associate, Morrison & Foerster LLP Room 2. Precise and Efficient Non-viral CRISPR Gene Editing Solutions  Lumeng Ye, PhD, Sr. Scientist, GenScript USA Inc. Room 3: Humanized Models for Improved Preclinical Discovery and Assessment of Novel Immunotherapies Jenna Frame, PhD, Manager, Scientific Communications & Marketing, Biocytogen Boston Corp. Room 4: Atomic-resolution cryoEM and Its Impact on SBDD  Larry Jin, PhD, COO, Wuxi Biortus Biosciences Co., Ltd. What’s Ahead for the Biotech Industry: Another Wave or Low Tide?  Michael Zhao, Co-founder, Q Bay (Boston)  Room 5: Clinical Study in the US and China Charles Li, MBA, MS, VP, Business Development, CR Medicon, a Pharmaron Company Next-Generation DMSO-Free & Serum-Free Cryopreservation for Cell Therapy Manufacturing and Processing Xiaoxi Wei, PhD, Co-founder & CEO, X-Therma Inc. User Affiliate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Room 6: Future of Targeted Therapies in Lung Cancer Sanjeev Redkar, MBA, PhD, President and Co-Founder, Apollomics Inc. Room 7.  Opportunities and Challenges in the Development of an Innovative Clinical Research Platform Sophia Kan, Director of Marketing Strategy, GoBroad Healthcare Group Alex J. Zhang, PhD, Chief Scientific Advisor, Hanhai International Inc.

Afternoon Session
12:30 PM – 1:05 PM	Keynote 2: Towards Universal Druggability  Greg Verdine, PhD, Professor, Chemical Biology, Harvard University
1:05 PM – 1:35 PM	How We Use Stem Cells & Genomics for Guiding Precision Medicine Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD, Director of Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and the Simon H. Stertzer, MD, Professor of Medicine and Radiology, Stanford University
1:35 PM – 2:05 PM	Designing Better Molecules Faster and with Less Expense: Illustrations of the Transformative Impact of Physics-Based Modeling Combined with Machine Learning  Matt Repasky, PhD, SVP, Life Sciences Products, Schrödinger Inc.
2:05 PM – 2:35 PM	The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Status Report Arthur Reingold, MD, Professor and Head of the Division of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, UC Berkeley
2:35 PM –3:15PM	Panel Discussion 2: Strategic Partnerships & Financing Trends for the Biotech Industry Moderator: Cheni Kwok, CLP, PhD, Managing Partner & Founder, Linear Dreams LLC Panelists:  Edward Harrington, MBA, CFO, Genentech Guo-Liang Yu, PhD, CEO, Apollomics Inc. Dewan Zeng, MBA, PhD, Head of Search and Evaluation, Business Development, BeiGene, Ltd. Cariad Chester, Partner, TCG Crossover “TCG X”
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM	FDA Experience and Regulatory Considerations on Companion Diagnostics and Cancer Early Detection Test Sharon Liang, MD, RAC, PhD, VP, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Affairs, Burning Rock Dx, LLC
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM	A World-Class Healthcare Technology Innovation Platform at Hong Kong Science Park Carrie Ling, PhD, Assistant Director of Business Development (InnoHK), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP)
4:00 PM – 4:05 PM	Conference Adjourned
4:05 PM – 4:30 PM	Breakout Room Networking

Click Here to Register on Zoom Conference

Download 2021 BioPacific Conference Brochure

Virtual Zoom Conference

PBSS Free Online Seminar:Radio-labeled Mass Balance and Metabolite Profiling Studies: Fundamentals, Best Practices, Regulatory Requirements, Applications, and Case Studies

Zoom

EPPIC global presents: Healthcare Start-Ups: Opportunities, Challenges and Trends

online

HKSTP Thought-leadership Series: AI for Cognitive Health

Zoom

CABS Oligo-Therapeutics Webinar

Oligo-Therapeutics Seminar

Organized by CABS Science & Technology Committee

Oligonucleotides have potential to revolutionize medicine due to their ability to target previously “undruggable” disease genes. The Chinese American Bio-Pharmaceutics Society (CABS) will host an Oligo-Therapeutics seminar on September 11^th, 2021 at 1:00-4:30pm (PDT). Brought together Oligo experts from Ionis, Eli Lilly, and Amgen, the seminar will delve into the pioneering development of oligo-therapeutics from chemistry and delivery, biology/pharmacology, to clinical translation. Join us to get exposed to ground-breaking oligonucleotide science and case studies and to network with oligo industrial professionals.

Date: September 11^th 2021, Saturday, 1:00-4:30 PM (PDT)

Zoom: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h_M02eYFSEKTWjN1WEwU7A

Agenda:

1:00 to 1:05 PM PDT Welcome Remarks from CABS. Xiang Yi, PhD, Co-chair, CABS Science & Technology

1:05 to 1:50 PM PDT Targeted Delivery of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics. Punit Seth, PhD, VP of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceutics, San Diego

Abstract: Synthetic therapeutic oligonucleotides (STO) represent the third bonafide platform for drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry after small molecule and protein therapeutics. No less than thirteen STOs have been approved by regulatory agencies and over one hundred of them are in different stages of clinical trials. STOs hybridize to their target RNA or DNA in cells via Watson-Crick base pairing and modulate their function to exert pharmacological effects. This unique class of therapeutic agents has the potential to target genes and gene products that are considered undruggable by other therapeutic platforms. However, STOs must overcome several extracellular and intracellular obstacles to interact with their biological RNA targets inside cells. These obstacles include degradation by extracellular nucleases, scavenging by the reticuloendothelial system, filtration by the kidney, traversing the capillary endothelium to access the tissue interstitium, cell-surface receptor-mediated endocytic uptake, and escape from endolysosomal compartments to access the nuclear and/or cytoplasmic compartments where their targets reside. Recent advances in the delivery of STOs will be presented.

1:50 to 2:35 PM PDT Discovery and Development of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics: Past, Present, and   Future. Gosia Gonciarz, PhD, SR. Director, Internal Platform Leader, New Therapeutic Modality, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis

Abstract: Nucleic-acid based therapeutics are emerging new drug modalities beyond conventional small molecules, peptides and monoclonal antibodies, that offer new therapeutic avenues and solutions for unmet medical needs. Different classes of nucleic-acid therapies including antisense oligonucleotides, aptamers, small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, messenger RNA, viral vectors and CRISPR/Cas9 system are being evaluated in clinical trials or have already received regulatory approval. RNA-based therapeutics can act through different mechanisms ranging from activation to silencing and knockout of the target gene. The versatility of modes of action makes them popular therapeutic agents for various medical needs.

Unmodified RNA molecules are unstable, rapidly degraded and cleared from circulation. After years of dedicated research, major challenges associated with poor potency, stability and immune response activation have been overcome and led to discoveries of potent and durable RNA therapeutics. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are the most advanced and promising examples of this newer class of medicines. First wave of RNA therapies has been developed for treatment of rare indications such as spinal muscular atrophy, hereditary TTR-mediated amyloidosis and acute hepatic porphyria as exemplified by regulatory approvals of Spinraza, Onpattro and Givlaari respectively, building excitement and confidence in this new class of therapeutics. The next wave of RNA therapeutics might offer treatments for broader indications such as cardiovascular disease. Recent clinical readouts with inclisiran, an siRNA designed to inhibit the synthesis of the proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), suggest that RNA therapies could offer attractive therapeutic solutions to broad patient populations. As demonstrated in phase 3 clinical trial, a single subcutaneous injection of inclisiran can lower LDL-C level for 6 months. Long duration of action and infrequent administration of siRNA therapies is very attractive from various perspectives, including patient convenience, lower cost of goods and most importantly will significantly improve patient adherence to medication and as a result improve disease outcomes.

2:35 to 3:20 PM PDT siRNA Therapy in Metabolic Diseases. Jun Zhang, PhD, Principal Scientist, Amgen,   South San Francisco

Abstract: Since discovery in 1998, RNA interference (RNAi) become a widely used research tool to probe the importance of individual genes by knocking down gene expression. Ten years later, synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were discovered with great potential as therapeutics to extend its targets beyond what can be achieved with small molecules and biologic. Recent progress in clinics further suggest that siRNA drugs are safe, effective with extremely long duration of action up to six months, presented revolutionary impact on pharmaceutical industry. These advantages are beneficial to chronic metabolic conditions such as T2D, NASH, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic lung conditions, which in general require therapeutics met high standards of safety, effectiveness, and easy administration. A summary of synthetic siRNA-based drug design and progress in therapeutic development will be discussed, with a focus on opportunities and challenges to overcome metabolism related disorders and syndromes. 

3:20 to 4:05 PM PDT Delivery of RNA Therapeutics: The Great Endosomal Escape! Steven Dowdy, PhD,      Professor, Dept. of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, UCSD, San Diego

Abstract: RNA therapeutics have great potential to selectively treat human disease, especially cancer, pandemics and CNS disorders. Due to their large 8-14 kiloDalton size and 20-40 or more negative phosphate charges, RNA therapeutics are too large to diffuse across the cell membrane and are instead taken up endocytosis.  However, >99% of RNA therapeutics remain trapped inside of endosomes with <1% escaping across the endosomal lipid bilayer membrane into the cytoplasm of cells. Consequently, endosomal escape remains The Technological Problem to solve for development and efficient delivery of all RNA therapeutics. Viruses also have an same endosomal escape problem, but have evolved mechanisms to solve it.  We developed new chemistry to synthesize a universal endosomal escape domain (uEED) that biomimics the mechanism that enveloped viruses use to escape the endosome. uEEDs can be conjugated to all RNA therapeutics.

4:05 to 4:30 PM PDT Panel discussion

Speakers Background:

Dr. Punit P. Seth heads medicinal chemistry and targeted delivery at Ionis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Seth is co-inventor of Ionis’ Gen 2.5 platform which employs high affinity nucleoside modifications to enhance the affinity, stability and potency of ASOs in the liver and in extra-hepatic tissues. He is also the co-inventor of Ionis’ LICA (ligand conjugated antisense oligonucleotides) platform which enhances ASO potency by targeted delivery to cells and tissues of interest. He has extensive experience with using medicinal chemistry strategies to modulate the activity, pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of oligonucleotide drugs. Dr. Seth is listed as co-author/co-inventor on over 200 peer-reviewed publications, issued patents and patent applications. He has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from The Ohio State University.

Malgorzata (Gosia) Gonciarz is a Senior Director in Lilly’s Novel Therapeutic Modalities organization, where she leads a diverse group of scientists to design and develop RNA based therapeutics and enable their delivery to specific tissues.  Dr. Gonciarz received a M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wroclaw, Poland and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from University of Gdansk, Poland. She then went on to post-doctoral work at University of Utah where she studied structure and function of cellular components. Dr. Gonciarz joined Lilly in 2009 and started her journey in Biotechnology Discovery Research organization where she has applied her expertise in protein engineering, structural biology, and biophysical characterization to advance peptide-, protein- and antibody-based therapeutics. Through her various scientific roles at Lilly, she led teams from early discovery through clinical proof-of-concepts advancing Lilly’s pipeline across breadth of therapeutic areas. 

Jun holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and a Bachelor of Medicine from Peking University Health Science Center. Prior to joining industry, Jun was a Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellow in Developmental Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering at HHMI and Stanford University School of Medicine from 2004 to 2009. She then worked at a startup Biotechnology company for over three years and joined Amgen in 2012. She has been leading multiple early discovery programs of innovative biologic, small molecule and nucleic acid therapies for treating metabolic diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia and NASH.

Dr. Steven F. Dowdy is a Professor of Cellular & Molecular Medicine at UCSD School of Medicine and a cancer biologist, specializing in the development and delivery of RNA therapeutics, and G1 cell cycle control in cancer.  He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from UC Irvine with Prof. Eric Stanbridge working on tumor suppressor genes, and performed his postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Bob Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute, MIT, working on the biochemistry of the Rb tumor suppressor gene.  His lab is focused on the molecular details of delivery of RNA therapeutics across the endosomal lipid bilayer and the synthesis of endosomal escape domains to overcome this billion year old rate-limiting barrier.  His lab was the first to synthesize bioreversible, charge neutralizing phosphotriester backbone RNAi prodrug triggers that increase metabolic stability, pharmacokinetics and enhance endosomal escape.  Dr. Dowdy sits on five biotech Science Advisory Boards and is an elected member of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (OTS) Board of Directors (2015-present). Previously, Dr. Dowdy was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator (1994-2012) and an Assistant Professor at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis (1994-2001).

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Announcing 2021 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

The Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS) K. Fong Award Committee is very pleased to announce that Dr. John O. Link and Dr. Xian-Ping Lu are the winners of the 2021 CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences for their extraordinary achievements in research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. 

Dr. John O. Link

Dr. John O. Link has 30 years of experience in discovering and developing drugs as a medicinal chemist and project leader. John received his PhD in Chemistry under the direction of EJ Corey at Harvard University working on CBS reduction chemistry and a novel synthesis of amino-acids, now named the Corey-Link Reaction. John elucidated the inhibition mechanism of the immunosuppressant drug CellCept^® along with the enzymatic mechanism of its target, inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase at Syntex/Roche Palo Alto. At Celera John worked in the inflammation and antiviral areas with three compounds entering clinical trials.  John was a Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at Gilead Sciences and led the project teams that discovered the hepatitis C NS5A inhibitors ledipasvir and velpatasvir (Harvoni^® Epclusa^®) and continued as the project leader through Phase I clinical trials. The NS3/4a protease inhibitor drug voxilaprevir was discovered in his group (Vosevi^®). John is co-inventor on the patents disclosing these three approved drugs. Under his leadership, Gilead moved three small molecule HCV inhibitors from discovery to FDA approval. Since their approval from 2014 to 2016, those HCV drugs have cured 1.5 million HCV patients globally by mid-2017. He is also a co-inventor and was a project leader on the first-in-class twice-yearly dosed Capsid inhibitor lenacapavir that is in multiple late-stage clinical trials for HIV treatment or prevention. John was awarded the American Chemical Society’s 2015 “Heroes of Chemistry Award” for his contributions to the discovery of Harvoni^®, and in 2017 received the inaugural “Male Ally” award from the “Women at Gilead” employee resource group.

Dr. Xian-Ping Lu PhD

Dr. Xian-Ping Lu is Chairman, CEO of Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co. LTD. Dr. Lu founded Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences 20 years ago with a group of US-trained professionals. He built Chipscreen Biosciences into a leading Chinese drug discovery and development company focusing on innovative small molecular therapeutics. ChipScreen is probably the only truly innovative, vertically integrated biopharma company in China. Using active compounds as probes to characterize proteome functions, this novel approach allows small molecules to be systematically screened as new therapeutic targets, enhancing the ability to create target-specific chemical drugs. The chemical genomics approach led to the discovery of Chidamide, a highly selective histone deacetylase HDAC inhibitor. The approval of Chidamide also broke China’s reliance on foreign imports for innovative drugs. The out-licensing of its overseas patents brought Chipscreen large milestone payments and made Chidamide the first original Chinese drug authorized for use in the US and other countries. This sets a precedent for China to change from a drug imitator to a creator. 

Previously Dr. Lu was Director of Research at Galderma R&D in Princeton until 2000, the year he became visiting professor at China’s State Key Laboratory for Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology in Tsinghua University.  He also participated in founding Galderma Research Inc. and Maxia Pharmaceuticals in San Diego around 1994.

Dr. Lu came to the US in 1989 for postgraduate fellowship study at the Department of Pharmacology, University of California in San Diego, followed by research fellowship at La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation (Burnham Institute). He obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and M.S. in Biochemistry from Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and his B.S. degree in Biochemistry from Sichuan University. 

With over 30 years of biomedical research and biotech/pharmaceutical experience in various therapeutic areas, Dr. Lu is a skilled leader of diverse groups in global operating settings.  He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals including Nature, Science and The Lancet.  He is the lead inventor on over 300 patented inventions in areas of small molecule therapeutics.

In the past 20 years, Dr. Lu has participated and promoted many reforms in regulatory environment, policy, and guideline of NMPA, reimbursement system of national health care, security and exchange of capital market, taxation and many others in China. He has been recognized as “China’s New Drug Trailblazer” as well as winning various prizes and recognitions from the pharmaceutical industry and other institutions. 

About CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences

CABS K. Fong Award in Life Sciences is presented annually to recognize those individuals who make significant contributions in life sciences and the biopharmaceutical industry including outstanding scientific findings, recognized efforts in promoting life science education and initiatives in improving life science community, and those who bring therapeutic breakthroughs to the market and improve healthcare and quality of life.

Candidates must be nominated by an active member of CABS. Selection criteria are based on candidate’s accomplishments in life sciences and contribution to the life science community, including one or all of the following:

• Proven achievements in therapeutic breakthroughs (including discovery, process or clinical development), diagnostics or research reagent/equipment markets.
  
• Significant contribution to the promotion of academic and industrial R&D in biomedical sciences and applications.
  
• Significant contribution to the CABS community and promotion of international collaborations in life sciences.
  

About Dr. Kenneth Fong

Dr. Kenneth Fong has spent the last 32 years in the biotech industry after completing his academic pursuit in biomedical research.

He is best known for founding the biotech company, Clontech in 1984 which he built into one of the largest biomedical tool companies founded by an Asian American in the US (400 employees including 65 PhD scientists). Clontech was sold to Becton Dickinson in 1999 and Ken has continued his career as a Venture capitalist with Kenson Ventures that he founded. He has since cultivated more than 10 highly successful entrepreneurs, advising them and working with them on the growth of their companies.

Currently, he sits on the board of 4 biotech companies and he was intimately involved with the M/A and IPO of more than 10 companies that are worth more than $3 billion. These companies range from research tools, medical diagnostics and drug development. In almost all cases, Dr. Fong has been instrumental in providing strategies for sustainable growth, value creation and liquidity. Those successful entrepreneurs have moved on to assume leadership in other start-up and mid-sized companies, which in turn led to a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Ken has held a number of leadership positions over the years. He served as the President of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in North America (2006-07) and President of the Bay Area Asian American Manufacturers' Association (AAMA, 1987). He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the California State University System (2006-13). His philanthropic interests include scholarships to San Francisco State University, the Kenneth Fong-Hearst endowed scholarships to the CSU system and 40 student scholarships to Peking University. In 2006, he was involved with establishing the Fong Optometry and Medical library at UC Berkeley, and more recently an endowed professorship at Stanford University and a technology translation endowed fund at San Francisco State University.

Ken obtained his PhD from Indiana University and his BS from San Francisco State University.

Past recipients of CABS K. Fong Awards

2019: Dr. John V. Oyler, Chairman, Co-Found and CEO of BeiGene, for his entrepreneurship and business leadership to establish BeiGene as a world-class biopharmaceutical company.

2018: Dr. Yuling Luo, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Alamar Biosciences, and Dr. Guoliang Yu, Executive Chairman of Crown Bioscience, for their successful serial entrepreneurship in the life science business.  

2017: Dr. Yinxiang Wang, Co-founder and CSO of Beta Pharma, for his role in leading development and commercialization of Conmana®, the first small molecule oncology drug specifically targeting cancer cells that was completely developed in China, and Dr. Edgar Engleman, for his pioneering research that was the basis of the Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) prostate cancer vaccine, the first active immunotherapy for cancer to be approved by the FDA.

2016: Dr. Gerald Chan, co-founder of Morningside, for his extraordinary vision and leadership in cultivating a generation of successful entrepreneurs and life sciences companies.

2015: Dr. Irving Weissman, of Stanford University, for his pioneering work in stem cell research.

2014: Dr. Ge Li, Founder and CEO of Wuxi Apptec, for creating and shaping the CRO business model in China and Dr. Hing L. Sham, formerly of Abbott for his leading role in the discovery of life- saving HIV protease inhibitors, ritonavir and Iopinavir.

2013: Dr. Peter Hirth, Plexxikon & Sugen for his pivotal role in advancing 4 successful drugs to the market and Dr. Jean Cui, formerly of Pfizer for her role as the lead designer and investigator of crizotinib, a successful kinase inhibiting drug used in personalized medicine.
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HKSTP Thought-leadership Series: Combating Emerging Infectious Diseases

Zoom

PBSS Free Online Seminar: Advances in Immuno-Oncology

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2021 CABS Virtual Job Fair

To serve our community, the Chinese American Bio/Pharmaceutical Society (CABS) is delighted to host a FREE Virtual Job Fair on Zoom on August 7, 2021 from 2PM to 5PM Pacific time (5PM-8PM Eastern time). We have more than twenty entities that will participate in this event and intend to recruit talents for 80+ positions in US, Mainland China, and Hong Kong (as of July 15, 2021). See the flyer and registration link for job posting details. (Note that the job postings are continuously being updated on our website.) During the Job Fair, each participating entity will have an individual break room, where you will have opportunity to directly speak with the hiring team to explore career opportunities. There will also be a show room where featured entities will showcase their visions and talent recruiting objectives.

 

To register, please click Meeting Registration - Zoom, or scan the barcode on the flyer.      

 

For entities that are interested in participating this event, we still have limited FREE spots available. You will have the privilege of 1) promoting job postings via CABS website prior to the event for free, and 2) an individual breakroom for your hiring team to directly interact with potential candidates on the day of the Job Fair. First come, first serve! Please contact cabs_bcd@cabsweb.org ASAP if interested.

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CBA Seminar: Diet, Microbiota and Cancer

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PBSS Free Online Seminar: Development of Inhalation Therapeutics

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CBA SF Seminar - Checkpoint Inhibitors Immune-Mediated Side Effect, A Perspective from a Non-Oncologist Physician

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PBSS Free Online Seminar: Statins for Cholesterol Control: Historical Stories and Lessons Learned

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EPPIC Global Online Event - Progress and Challenge of Gene Editing Technologies

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BioPacific Toastmasters Club Open House

Have you always wanted to improve public speaking skills but don't know where to start?

Would you want to get a taste for public speaking in a relaxed, outdoor setting?

Or maybe you are just tired of Zoom meetings all the time and want to see some friendly faces in person?

You are invited to the open house hosted by the BioPacific Toastmasters Club on Sat, Jun 19th, 2021, 9:45-11:15 AM PDT at Ryder Park in San Mateo.

You will hear wonderful speeches while enjoying the blue sky and fresh air. Please find more details and register at: 

https://forms.gle/imjE2M67x4KHgsYH8

Ryder Park: 1801 J Hart Clinton Dr, San Mateo, CA 94401

PBSS Free Online Symposium: Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Discovery to Development

Free Online Symposium: Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Discovery to Development

Date/Time: May 26, 2021; 8:30 - 13:30 (PST) 

Venue: Online via Zoom by PBSS-SF Bay

Organization: PBSS (Pharmaceutical and BioScience Society) 

Details & Registration: https://www.pbss.org/aspx/homeSF.aspx

Online via Zoom by PBSS-SF Bay

ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2021

ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2021

Shanghai and Digital

May 10-14, 2021

www.CBPF2021.com

ChinaBio® Partnering Forum has grown to be the premier life science partnering conference in China since 2009. ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2021, in its new hybrid delivery, will kick off with two days of productive in-person one-to-one meetings in Shanghai, China followed by three days of effortless virtual one-to-one meetings. That enables you to identify, meet and network with leaders across the life science value chain to accelerate your cross-border partnerships and expand your reach into the China market. ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2020 was a busy three days, August 25–27, 2020, with 1,000 delegates representing 34 countries engaged in over 3,200 virtual partnering meetings. Additionally, delegates engaged with 8 program sessions, over 60 company presentations and over 20 Company Showcases, all available on demand and accessible from anywhere in the world. 

ChinaBio® 合作论坛2021

上海和数字版

2021年5月10-14日