致敬夢想 | 2026藥明康德全球論壇圖文速遞 | Bilingual

世紀之交的2000年，人類首次觸及生命藍圖的輪廓。那一刻，一個關于醫學的夢想被點亮——更深入地理解疾病，更理性地設計藥物，讓改變命運的治療，走向更多生命。也正是在這一年，藥明康德誕生。與全球創新者同行，將夢想化為篤定的初心。

25年，夢想沒有停留在想象中。它走進實驗室，融入臨床中，在一次次協作與托付里，緩慢生長，不斷延展。

站在2026年的起點，第14屆藥明康德全球論壇在舊金山如期舉行。來自世界各地的追夢人再度相聚，以“B.O.L.D.”為名，回望走過的25年，也眺望仍在前方的夢想。向那些始終相信科學、堅持創新、并以行動推動醫學向前的人——致敬。

歡迎

在歡迎致辭中，論壇主席、藥明康德副總裁蔡輝博士邀請大家一起回望過去25年的來路。她說，每年1月的相聚，從來不只是一次會議，更像是一種約定：提醒我們生物醫藥產業之所以能夠不斷向前，是因為選擇彼此信任、并肩同行。

圍繞論壇長期堅持的主題“B.O.L.D.”，蔡輝博士進一步分享了她的理解：BOLD，不只是打破邊界、探索未知，更是在紛繁復雜的世界中保持清醒、穩穩走好每一步，并始終把患者放在心中最重要的位置。這是一條堅實而篤定的路，也是一段由無數雙手共同托舉、攜手走向未來的同行之旅。

時代創新脈動

站在本世紀下一個25年的起點，我們不禁思考，這一路走來，產業取得了哪些令人矚目的突破，又有哪些瓶頸仍待解決？在開場討論中，多位行業領袖從創新突破轉化、臨床開發、監管與投資等多個維度切入，回顧過去，審視當下，共同探討未來的發展方向。

拜耳執行副總裁、制藥業務BD&L負責人兼Leaps負責人Juergen Eckhardt博士回顧了過去25年間新治療模式的涌現。他表示：“那是一個令人震撼的時期。在新治療模式的開發，尤其是在將其真正帶給患者方面，可能都是前所未有的。這些進展切實改變了許多患者的治療范式。”

在肯定顯著進步的同時，嘉賓們也對行業仍面臨的深層挑戰保持清醒認識。塔夫茨藥物開發研究中心教授兼高級研究員Kenneth Kaitin博士指出：“藥物研發的基本流程在過去60多年里幾乎沒有發生變化，這也由此帶來了一系列新的挑戰。”

在諸多挑戰之中，如何提升臨床試驗效率成為多位嘉賓共同關注的焦點。MD安德森癌癥中心高級副總裁兼首席科學官Giulio Draetta博士指出，與“患者不愿參與復雜臨床試驗”的傳統認知不同，現實中患者往往展現出極大的慷慨與意愿，希望為早期研究提供支持。他認為，如果能夠更好地銜接標準治療與臨床試驗，在真實醫療場景中實現更高質量的執行，臨床試驗的參與度有望顯著提升。

從罕見病的視角出發，Parabilis Medicines董事長、總裁兼首席執行官Mathai Mammen博士補充道，企業需要更加系統地利用常規篩查數據，主動識別真正患病的潛在受試者。這一做法不僅有助于改善罕見病患者的診斷路徑，也將為相關領域的臨床試驗推進帶來實質性助力。

在提升臨床效率的技術路徑中，人工智能（AI）被視為重要工具之一。Averin Capital聯合創始人兼管理合伙人David Berry博士分享了AI在臨床研究中的潛在應用前景。他指出，借助AI進行臨床研究模擬，已發展到FDA允許開展“無需直接接觸患者”的研究探索。盡管用AI模擬取代傳統臨床試驗在過去被普遍視為不可能，但這一邊界正在被不斷推動。

圍繞“挑戰不可能”這一話題，本場討論主持人、RA Ventures風險合伙人Laura Shawver博士引用了一句她尤為認同的話：“困難的事情可以立刻去做，不可能的事情只是需要更長一點時間?！?/strong>她表示，隨著時間推移和能力積累，許多當下看似無法實現的目標，終將被逐一攻克。

創新快車道

在將科學真正轉化為創新療法、造福病患的進程中，哪些候選藥物值得更進一步？我們又該如何做出抉擇，讓創新滿足最迫切的醫療需求？在論壇的第二場專題討論中，多家新銳公司的領軍人物分享了加速新藥研發的實踐與策略，以及如何挑戰傳統研發路徑，探索能夠提升研發成功率的新技術、新模式與新理念。

討論伊始，專題討論主持人、Forbion合伙人Jon Edwards博士拋出了一個基礎卻關鍵的問題：“我們所說的‘速度’究竟意味著什么？是充足的資金儲備，還是經驗豐富、少走彎路的團隊？抑或是被寄予厚望、能夠解決一切問題的AI？”

談及AI在加速藥物發現中的角色，Xaira Therapeutics首席醫學官Paulo Fontoura博士表達了審慎而樂觀的態度。他認為，AI的價值不僅在于提升速度，更在于幫助研發更快接近“真相”。“AI既能加深我們對生物學機制的理解，也能幫助我們將這些機制精準匹配到合適的患者身上，從而真正改善治療結果?！?/p>

與此同時，多位嘉賓也提醒，在追求速度的過程中，科學判斷與試驗設計同樣至關重要。Tenvie Therapeutics首席執行官兼總裁Tony Estrada博士指出，在中樞神經系統疾病領域，過快推進有時反而可能對靶點理解和生物學假設造成干擾，進而得出錯誤結論，延緩整個領域的發展。

在討論如何“更快做出更好的藥”時，Dispatch Bio首席執行官Sabah ?ney博士將焦點重新拉回患者本身。他強調，在實體瘤等疾病領域，患者所承受的時間壓力極為真實。“如果我們哪怕晚了兩年，意味著成千上萬原本可能受益的患者，最終錯失了機會。”

Candid Therapeutics董事長、總裁兼首席執行官Ken Song博士則從研發決策的角度提出了一種更具挑戰性的思維方式——通過設計“正確的實驗”，盡早驗證假設、快速作出取舍。他認為，能夠盡早終止不可行項目，本身也是一種效率和責任的體現。

細胞和基因療法的時代承諾

作為近年來迅速崛起的創新治療模式之一，細胞和基因療法已為治療多種癌癥和遺傳病帶來新的希望。2025年，Fred Ramsdell博士因在調節性T細胞領域的奠基性工作，榮獲諾貝爾生理學或醫學獎。與Sonoma Biotherapeutics創始人兼顧問Jeffrey Bluestone博士一道，他們回顧了細胞和基因療法這一領域的發展歷程與當前格局，并對未來的重點拓展方向做了展望。

兩位嘉賓重點探討了調節性T細胞相關的基礎研究如何為細胞療法治療自身免疫疾病奠定科學基礎。Jeffrey Bluestone博士指出，諾獎研究揭示了免疫耐受并非免疫缺失，而是一個高度主動、由進化塑造的過程。調節性T細胞并非生物學的偶然產物，而是專門為維持自身組織穩態而進化出的關鍵細胞譜系。幾乎所有自身免疫疾病以及移植排斥反應，都與這些細胞功能失調密切相關，這也為新一代治療策略提供了清晰方向。

Fred Ramsdell博士則進一步闡述了調節性T細胞療法相較于傳統藥物模式的獨特優勢。他表示，這一療法的魅力在于充分利用了進化本身的智慧——這些細胞“知道該去哪里、該做什么”，能夠主動維持組織健康。“讓為保護組織而進化出的細胞，繼續去完成它們本該承擔的任務，本身就是一種極具潛力的治療思路?！?/p>

以患者為先：我們肩負的方向

無論科學怎么突破，技術怎么創新，目標最終都應回歸到改善患者的生活。圍繞中樞神經系統疾病、癌癥、以及心血管疾病這三大“殺手”，三位長期奮戰在臨床與科研一線的科學家就各自擅長的領域展開深入交流，探討哪些治療與預防手段能夠真正改變患者的生活，又有哪些更加患者導向的研發策略能真正推動創新惠及病患。

專題討論主持、Arena BioWorks董事長兼首席執行官Harvey Berger博士在開場時直言，在他看來，藥物研發領域面臨的根本問題仍是失敗率過高。“如果失敗率能夠顯著降低，速度本身就不會成為核心矛盾，患者所獲得的改變將是深刻而持久的。

對此，斯坦福心血管研究所主任、Greenstone Biosciences聯合創始人Joseph Wu博士表達了審慎的樂觀。他指出，隨著技術手段的飛速發展，研究者如今能夠在單細胞層面解析組織、基因與蛋白變化，并將這些發現迅速反饋至藥物設計與功能驗證之中。借助類器官等新模型，研發過程正逐步形成更高效的閉環。

在腫瘤領域，帕克癌癥免疫治療研究所首席執行官Karen Knudsen博士強調，創新療法已經開始在真實世界中產生深遠影響。她指出，美國目前已首次在所有癌癥總體層面實現五年生存率達到70%，這一歷史性進展，正源于在多種難治性癌癥中的持續治療創新。

談及神經退行性疾病的未來，2025年科學突破獎（Breakthrough Prize）得主，加州大學舊金山分校Weill神經科學研究所主任Stephen Hauser博士同樣持積極態度。他認為，隨著生物標志物和通路研究的成熟，阿爾茨海默病、帕金森病、ALS等疾病的生物學復雜性正逐步被拆解。針對合理靶點、設計嚴謹的項目，有望在未來顯著改善全球患者的生活質量。

共創未來

藥明康德聯席首席執行官陳民章博士首先向所有到場的演講嘉賓、合作伙伴以及一路同行的朋友致以由衷的感謝。回望來路，他將時間拉回到2000年。那時的藥明康德，只有四名員工、一間實驗室，卻已懷抱著一個樸素而堅定的信念：科學，能夠改變生命。25年來，這份信念從未孤獨前行。正是在全球創新生態圈的推動下，在一次次突破邊界、一次次勇于承擔風險的選擇中，在順境與逆境交織的旅程里，大家彼此扶持、共同堅守，走到了今天。

圍繞“共創未來”這一主題，陳民章博士強調，未來從來不是獨自抵達的終點，而是在記憶中延續、在信任中生長、由選擇攜手同行的人們共同塑造。站在當下這個科學與技術持續突破的時代，這一共同的未來正逐漸具象化：全球范圍內，已有超過50萬項活躍的臨床試驗同步推進，每一項都承載著患者的希望。對藥明康德而言，這個未來既承載理想，也扎根現實。它不僅由思想的交流所點亮，更由責任的擔當、對協作的開放、在不確定中前行的勇氣，以及作為一個共同體持續向前的承諾所鑄就。而支撐這一切的核心始終清晰而堅定：將患者置于每一項決策的中心，持續踐行那份不曾改變的信念——“讓天下沒有難做的藥，難治的病”。

健康老齡化的時代新篇

老齡化不僅是全球社會面臨的重要趨勢，更是多種疾病的關鍵風險因素。“健康老齡化”究竟意味著什么？哪些突破有望改變衰老相關疾病的進程？針對這些問題，來自學術界、生物技術公司、大型醫藥企業與投資機構的專家齊聚一堂，探討延長“健康壽命”（healthspan）的方法，并展望抗衰老領域正在加速到來的科學突破。

Hevolution基金會首席投資官William Greene博士指出了一個值得警醒的悖論：過去半個世紀中，人類壽命持續延長，但新增的壽命年限往往伴隨著日益沉重的慢性疾病負擔。他強調，未能真正“壓低”與年齡相關疾病的發生曲線，是現代醫學面臨的最大未滿足挑戰之一。同時，他也將這一現實視為一次重要機遇——呼喚全新的醫學路徑，不僅要延長生命長度，更要提升生命質量。

XPRIZE基金會健康執行副總裁Jamie Justice博士從生物學角度切入，強調多種老齡相關疾病背后存在著共通的生物學基礎。她認為，與其將這些疾病視為彼此孤立的狀態，不如將“衰老本身”視為一個可干預的共同靶點?；趧游锬Ｐ秃娃D化研究的證據，她指出，科學界正逐步具備調控這一生物學過程的能力，從而有望同時影響多種疾病。她同時強調，XPRIZE正致力于推動這些科學洞見進入臨床試驗階段，標志著老齡化研究正從理論走向現實驗證。

諾和諾德醫學與轉化科學高級副總裁兼首席醫學官Filip Knop博士則將新興的長壽科學與早已被反復驗證的健康老齡化驅動因素聯系起來。他指出，熱量限制和身體活動在臨床前研究、流行病學研究以及人群研究中始終表現出一致的積極作用。他進一步介紹，以司美格魯肽為代表的療法，可能正是通過作用于這些相同的生物通路，減少能量攝入、支持身體功能，從而帶來廣泛獲益。更為重要的是，他強調，越來越多的證據表明，壽命與健康壽命之間的關系并非不可改變，這為有意義的醫學干預提供了現實可能。

巴克老齡化研究所首席執行官Eric Verdin博士闡述了健康老齡化領域的核心科學命題：許多慢性疾病共享由衰老驅動的共同機制。他以動物模型和百歲老人為例指出，這些機制是可以被調控的。尤其值得注意的是，百歲老人一生中真正受到與年齡相關疾病困擾的時間比例非常低。Verdin博士認為，這一鮮明對比為“壓縮病程”（compressing morbidity）提供了有力證據——醫學目標不應僅是延長壽命，更應是縮短患病時間，這在生物學上是可以實現的。

Retro Biosciences首席執行官Joe Betts-LaCroix先生則聚焦于那些已被證明能夠顯著改善健康壽命的干預手段。他強調，熱量限制、GLP-1受體激動劑以及身體活動，是目前識別出的最具影響力的幾大杠桿。其中，運動可能是一種被嚴重低估的干預方式。他提到，隨著“運動因子（exerkines）”研究的興起，科學家正逐步揭示身體活動背后的分子機制，這也為將相關生物學發現轉化為可規?；念A防策略打開了廣闊空間。

作為本場討論的主持人，Life Biosciences首席運營官Michael Ringel博士將衰老定義為人類所面臨的最普遍、也最具深遠影響的生物學狀態。他指出，衰老遠比大多數人想象得更早開始，體能和認知功能的可測下降，甚至在生命的第三個十年便已出現。他進一步強調，在發達國家，超過90%的發病率和死亡率都源于與年齡相關的疾病。因此，健康老齡化并非小眾的科學議題，而是關乎醫療體系、科研優先級乃至整個社會的核心挑戰。

阿爾茨海默?。簭娜蛱魬鹂次磥斫】?/strong>

作為老年人群中最常見的神經退行性疾病之一，阿爾茨海默病既是“健康老齡化”進程中的嚴峻挑戰，也是一場對生物醫藥行業創新能力與應對策略的系統性考驗。達沃斯阿爾茨海默病協作組織創始主席George Vradenburg先生與F-Prime生物醫學研究倡議總裁Stacie Weninger博士，把阿爾茨海默病視作對全球醫療體系的一次“壓力測試”。在這場對話中，他們深入探討科學創新如何實現有效轉化，以及如何提升療法的可及性、可負擔性與全球落地能力。

Stacie Weninger博士強調，需要重新思考神經退行性疾病的研究與治療路徑，尤其是在有效療法仍然有限的領域。她指出，研究本身應當越來越多地發揮“護理”的功能，像腫瘤領域那樣，讓患者更早獲得研究性療法，從而在滿足迫切未滿足需求的同時，加速研發進程。她特別強調，生物標志物的快速演進是這一轉變的核心驅動力——從最初依賴尸檢診斷，到影像學，再到如今的腦脊液和血液標志物，這一系列進展正在根本性地重塑阿爾茨海默病的發現、研究與治療方式。

George Vradenburg先生則強調了可規?；?、低成本技術在改變阿爾茨海默病全球軌跡方面的巨大潛力。他提到，基于語音的認知評估等新工具，有望突破傳統臨床場景的限制，實現更早期、更廣泛的認知障礙識別。通過智能手機、數字平臺和遠程醫療，這些技術能夠將評估、監測與干預真正帶到患者身邊，從而在全球范圍內顯著提升腦健康創新的可及性。

專題討論主持、藥明康德聯席首席執行官楊青博士總結指出，任何挑戰都可能轉化為機遇，而這些機遇往往會激發科學家提出新的解決方案。同時，盡管任何新技術和新分子在起步階段往往成本不菲，但隨著行業了解的不斷加深，我們終將變得更快，更高效，最終造福更廣泛的患者群體。

塑造未來研發新格局

在2026藥明康德全球論壇的最后一場專題討論中，多家知名風險投資機構的代表從投融資視角切入，探討未來投資方向、技術平臺與研發體系應如何演進，才能更好承接新技術浪潮與患者需求。同時，他們也分享了如何通過更高效的協作模式，推動行業取得更快的進展與更優的創新成果。

賽諾菲投資董事總經理Jason Hafler先生從務實、以生態體系為先的視角出發，強調大型制藥企業在推動創新方面所具備的多元化、靈活工具組合。他指出，創新者與制藥伙伴之間保持清晰、透明的溝通至關重要。無論是并購、業務拓展還是股權投資，圍繞需求達成共識，都是高效穿越復雜組織結構、加速將藥物帶給患者的關鍵。

Flagship Pioneering普通合伙人Avak Kahvejian博士則將行業置于他所稱的“生物學世紀”之中，對AI推動藥物研發成功率提升持長期樂觀態度。他以25年的時間尺度指出，一場低調卻深刻的變革已然展開——更理性、更有針對性的研發方式，正逐步降低失敗率、壓縮成本，并擴大健康壽命改善的全球可及性。

Aulis Capital經營合伙人Nisa Leung女士聚焦當下的融資環境，指出資本紀律已成為成功創新的決定性特征。她認為，真正具備長期影響力與回報潛力的公司，往往由精干、高效、強調執行力與創新精神的創業者所領導。在資金趨緊的環境中，每一美元都必須發揮更大的價值，這不僅塑造著企業行為，也在重塑研發本身的形態。

VZVC聯合創始人兼經營合伙人Vijay Pande博士展望了一個公共健康預期發生根本轉變的未來——醫學將從“治療疾病”逐步轉向“預防疾病”。他認為，預防與長壽將成為醫療體系的重要支柱，而AI在很大程度上將改變醫療服務的經濟學基礎。盡管這一愿景頗具挑戰性，但他強調，其底層基礎已在逐步建立。

Sofinnova Partners經營合伙人Henrijette Richter博士強調了歐洲作為全球生物技術創新引擎的崛起。她指出，歐洲長期積累的科研實力，正越來越多地與充沛的私人資本相結合。更大規模的基金、更深層次的協作以及來自美國投資者的持續關注，正共同構成一個正向循環，推動歐洲在全球研發版圖中扮演更加重要、開放且具有競爭力的角色。

Canaan Partners普通合伙人Tim Shannon博士則將討論重新拉回到分子層面，重點介紹了“誘導鄰近效應（induced proximity）”這一創新作用機制。他指出，該策略能夠解鎖傳統治療模式難以觸及的全新生物學問題，并以可規?；男》肿臃桨笇崿F突破。在兼顧創新性、可制造性與成本效率的前提下，這類技術有望將先進療法惠及更廣泛的患者群體。

楊青博士也用三個關鍵詞為本場討論，以及本次藥明康德全球論壇做了總結：第一個關鍵詞是“樂觀”——在放晴的舊金山，現場切實感受到一種強烈的樂觀情緒；第二個關鍵詞是“勇敢新世界”——革命性的技術正深刻改變著整個產業和生態圈；第三個關鍵詞是“振奮”——論壇嘉賓們的分享，也描繪出了通往2026年及未來的巨大機遇。

同行致遠

整場論壇以特邀嘉賓、著名詩人及劇作家Jon Goode先生的思考和靈感作為精神主線，其文字貫穿論壇的開幕、中場與閉幕。通過三個精心編排的篇章，他道出了全球生命科學界共同的目標：真正的創新，不只是技術的飛躍或時間表上的節點，更關乎每一個決策背后所影響的真實人生。他的文字抓住了合作、責任，以及眾人攜手前行的力量的本質，也讓在場的每一位有機會停下腳步，重新思考初心，并再次承諾：我們要做的，是把生的希望，真正變成可及的“治愈性”突破。

當論壇接近尾聲，他的詩句依然在人們心中回響——它們印證了這一天反復傳遞的信念：醫學的進步，從來不是一個人的孤勇，而是無數人懷著共同使命，并肩前行，為全球患者、家庭和社區一起創造的未來。

WuXi Global Forum 2026: Together, We Advance Breakthroughs for Patients

At the dawn of the new millennium in 2000, humanity caught its first glimpse of life’s blueprint. In that defining moment, a dream for medicine was kindled—to understand disease more deeply, to design therapies with greater wisdom, and to bring transformative treatments within reach of countless lives. It was also in that very year that WuXi AppTec was born—founded on a shared vision with innovators around the world, turning that dream into a steadfast commitment.

For 25 years, this dream has never remained merely an idea. It has taken root in laboratories, flourished in clinics, and grown steadily through collaboration, trust, and unwavering dedication.

Now, standing at the threshold of 2026, the 14th WuXi AppTec Global Forum gathers once again in San Francisco. Dreamers and doers from across the globe reunite under the banner of “B.O.L.D.”—to reflect on a journey of 25 remarkable years, and to gaze toward the dreams still unfolding ahead.

To all who have believed in science, championed innovation, and moved medicine forward through action—this is our tribute to you.

WELCOME

Opening the 14th WuXi Global Forum, Dr. Hui Cai, Program Chair and Vice President of WuXi AppTec, reflected on a journey that began 25 years ago, when science was filled with BOLD ideas and the belief that progress is made by moving forward together. From the optimism of the year 2000 to today’s accelerating pace of discovery, she noted that the advances shaping modern medicine have always been driven by collective courage, shared purpose, and a willingness to act on possibility.

Revisiting the Forum’s enduring theme of "BOLD":Breaking barriers, Opening new horizons, Leading the next-generation healthcare solutions, and Delivering on promises for patients,Dr. Cai emphasized that boldness today also means clarity and focus amid a noisy world.The future WuXi AppTec envisions, she underscored, is not built by one company alone, but by a global community advancing together.

STATE OF INNOVATION

Standing at the beginning of the next 25 years of this century, we are prompted to reflect on the journey so far:what remarkable breakthroughs has the industry achieved, and what bottlenecks still remain to be addressed?In the opening session, “State of Innovation,” a distinguished group of speakers revisited the past, assessed the present, and jointly explored future directions from multiple perspectives, including translational innovation, clinical development, regulation, and investment.

Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, EVP, Head of Pharmaceuticals BD&L and Head of Leaps by Bayer, reflected on the emergence of new modalities in the past quarter of century. He said: "I think it was a stunning period, probably unprecedented in terms of new modalities being developed and, most importantly, being made available to patients.It has really changed patient treatment paradigms for many patients in need."

While acknowledging the progress, Dr. Kenneth Kaitin, Professor and Senior Fellow at Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, also noted that"the process of drug development has remained basically the same for over 60 years, and that's created some interesting challenges for the industry."

Among the challenges faced by the industry, improving clinical trial efficiency is on top of many panelists' minds. Dr. Giulio Draetta, SVP and Chief Scientific Officer of MD Anderson Cancer Center, pointed out that contrary to the notion that patients would not want to go through complex clinical trials, there is a lot of generosity coming from the patients and wanting to provide an opportunity for early investigations.Better execution in unifying standard care and clinical trials may dramatically increase the participation of clinical trials.

Dr. Mathai Mammen, Chairman, President & CEO of Parabilis Medicines, offered his perspective on clinical trials for rare disease patients. He said: "My advocacy for all patients that suffer from rare diseases would be thatcompanies need to work very hard to use general screening information to find patients that have the condition that's wrong.So that will help substantially in clinical trial conduct for anyone working within anything but well-known diseases."

One of the technologies that can be used to improve clinical trials is artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. David Berry, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Averin Capital offered a tantalizing prospect on the impact of AI on clinical trials.He said with AI, it is possible to do simulations of clinical studies, to the point that the FDA allowed researchers to do a study where they never contacted a patient with drug.Even though replacing clinical trial with AI simulation was considered impossible by many.

Speaking of tackling "the impossible", session moderator, Dr. Laura Shawver, Venture Partner at RA Ventures brought up one of her favorite quote, "the difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer." She believes in the coming years, we will tackle the impossible, whether we believe it's possible today or possible in the future.

BREAKING THROUGH IN THE FAST LANE

Transforming scientific discovery into therapies that truly benefit patients remains one of the industry’s core challenges.How should we make decisions in advancing innovative medicines? And how can innovation be better aligned with the most pressing unmet medical needs? In the panel discussion “Breaking Through in the Fast Lane,” leaders from several cutting-edge companies shared practical measures and strategies to accelerate drug R&D, challenged traditional development models, and explored new technologies, approaches, and concepts designed to improve both efficiency and success rates.

Session moderator, Dr. Jon Edwards, Partner at Forbion, kicked off the discussion by asking "What does speed mean?Is speed raising the most money and having a really large war chest and being able to just move quickly? Is it an experienced team that's not going to make mistakes? Is it AI, which is going to solve all of our problems?"

On the prospect of AI in accelerating drug discovery, Dr. Paulo Fontoura, Chief Medical Officer of Xaira Therapeutics said he is an AI optimist. He said: "Obviously AI can accelerate a lot of these things. But it's not just acceleration. It's acceleration to truth finding, and that's really the key thing here.I really think that what AI can do is not only allow us to understand better the biology, but also fit those biologies to the right patients, and therefore deliver more results for them."

In addition to AI, Dr. Tony Estrada, President & CEO of Tenvie Therapeutics, emphasized the importance of careful design in clinical trials. He said in the CNS disease space,sometimes moving too fast actually was doing the target and the biology a disservicebecause then we make incorrect hypotheses or conclusions thatset the field back.

Panelists also addressed the mindset of how to make better medicines faster. Dr. Sabah ?ney, CEO of Dispatch Bio, stressed the urgency demanded by the patients. He said: "We're in solid tumors. Those patients that we are trying to treat are, at the end of life, they have seven or eight months left. They're someone's father, someone's wife, or other sister.And if we are even two years late, that's thousands of patients that we could have impacted but that we didn't impact."

Dr. Ken Song, Chairman, President & CEO of Candid Therapeutics, talked about the mindset to design "the right experiment so I can kill the program and shut the company down as fast as I can? If you can't do that, then you have the drug. Butif you do the right experiment,you shut the company down fast, then I think that's better. And that makes us more efficient."

DELIVERING ON THE PROMISE OF CELL AND GENE THERAPIES

As one of the fastest-growing therapeutic modalities in recent years, cell and gene therapies have brought new hope to patients with a wide range of cancers and genetic diseases.In the fireside chat “Delivering on the Promise of Cell and Gene Therapies,” 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate Dr. Fred Ramsdell joined Dr. Jeffrey Bluestone, Founder and Advisor of Sonoma Biotherapeutics to review the historical evolution and current landscape of the field. Together, they discussed how Nobel-winning research on regulatory T-cells has laid the scientific foundation for using cell therapy to treat autoimmune diseases, and looked ahead to future expansion opportunities in cell and gene therapy.

Dr. Jeffrey Bluestone noted that Dr. Fred Ramsdell's Nobel winning research revealed thatimmune tolerance is not the absence of immunity, it's really an active process built on the evolutionary pressures to preserve one's own tissue and allow the immune system to still simultaneously recognize and destroy foreign agents.So regulatory T cells (Tregs) are not accidents of biology, they're actually a lineage that evolved to actually perform these activities and every autoimmune disease that we struggle with, every transplant that's rejected is directly connected to an inability of these cells to do their job the way we want them to do it. So we can now imagine a whole array of drugs that can be developed.

Dr. Fred Ramsdell highlighted the difference between Tregs therapy compared to other drug modalities. He said: "What I love about this modality is that we're taking advantage of what evolution has devised to control our immune responses. These cells are really smart, because they had thousands and tens and hundreds of thousands of years to develop to do things.They know where to go and what to do. I can let the cell that's evolved to take care of the tissue, take care of the tissue."

WHAT SHOULD WE STRIVE TOWARD FOR PATIENTS

Ultimately, scientific breakthroughs and technological advances must translate into meaningful improvements in people’s lives.In the panel “What Should We Strive Toward for Patients” moderated by Dr. Harvey Berger, Chairman & CEO of Arena BioWorks, three scientists with extensive frontline clinical experience — including 2025 Breakthrough Prize laureate Dr. Stephen Hauser, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen, and Director of Stanford Cardiovascular Institute Dr. Joseph Wu — discussed developments in oncology, cardiovascular disease and neuroscience. They explored which treatment and prevention strategies can truly reshape patient outcomes, and how more patient-centered R&D approaches can drive meaningful, real-world innovation.

Session moderator Dr. Harvey Berger opened the discussion by noting that in his opinion,the fundamental problem facing drug discovery and development is the rather high failure rate."The failure rate is way too high. If that was 50%, speed wouldn't be the issue. We would have a dramatic and profound difference, I think, for patients."

Dr. Joseph Wu was optimistic thatwith advance in technology,the failure rate will hopefully come down in the future.He said: "30-40 years ago, we don't really have access to tissues. Even if we do, all we do is do an H&E staining. Right now you can take the human tissues, do single cell proteomics, single cell sequencing, single nuclear sequencing, figure out exactly what gene goes up, goes down, what proteins are altered. Take those genes and take those proteins, go back to the lab and figure out what type of a drug can modulate that gene, modulate that protein and then go back to the lab again to use all these organoids that we have at our disposal to figure out which one of these really work and then go back to the patient."

Dr. Karen Knudsen highlighted the achievements in novel cancer treatments. She said: "We are at the first time in this country that we have a 70% five-year survival rate for all 200 cancers in aggregate.That is an incredible moment. And when you unpack what happens there, it came from innovations in therapeutics in difficult to treat cancers."

Dr. Stephen Hauser is hopeful that with the advance in biomarkers, the future for treating neurodegenerative diseases is bright. He said: "These diseases are biologically so much simpler than they were 10 years ago. Alzheimer, Parkinson, ALS, Huntington.We can understand the pathways, understand what can be drug targeted, and I think projects that are very robust, that go after reasonable targets, are going to have a chance to dramatically improve the lives of billions of people."

THE FUTURE WE SHARE

In his remarks, Dr. Minzhang Chen, Co-CEO of WuXi AppTec, expressed his sincere appreciation to the speakers, customers, partners, investors, and friends who have contributed their insights, trust, and commitment. He reflected on the shared journey that began in 2000, when WuXi AppTec was founded with just four people and a 7,000 square foot chemistry lab, guided by a simple belief that science could change lives. Over the past 25 years, he noted, WuXi AppTec’s growth has been inseparable from the global innovation community that supported it: pushing the boundaries of science, taking risks, and remaining committed through both favorable and challenging times.

Reflecting on the session theme, “The Future We Share,” Dr. Chen underscored that the future is never built in isolation; it is shaped by memory, by trust, and by the people who choose to walk the road together. In today’s era of accelerating scientific and technological breakthroughs, he noted, that shared future is taking shape through more than half a million active clinical trials worldwide, each representing a beacon of hope for patients. For WuXi AppTec, this future is both aspirational and deeply practical, powered by over 10,000 medicines currently in the global pipeline, and many more yet to come. It is a future defined not merely by ideas exchanged, but by responsibility embraced, by openness to collaboration, by the courage to advance amid uncertainty, and by a collective commitment to move forward as one community.At the heart of this shared horizon lies a simple yet unwavering principle: to place patients at the center of every decision, and to continue pursuing WuXi AppTec’s enduring vision that “every drug can be made, and every disease can be treated”.

SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTHY AGING

Population aging is not only a defining global demographic trend, but also a major risk factor for numerous diseases, with profound implications for both life expectancy and quality of life. What does “healthy aging” truly mean? And which breakthroughs have the potential to alter the course of aging-related disease? In the session “Spotlight on Healthy Aging,” experts from academia, biotechnology companies, leading pharmaceutical organizations, and investment institutions came together to discuss strategies for extending healthspan, while exploring the wave of scientific progress now emerging in the field of aging research.

Dr. William Greene, Chief Investment Officer at Hevolution Foundation, highlighted a sobering paradox: while lifespan has steadily increased over the past half-century, those added years have largely been accompanied by a growing burden of chronic disease. He noted that the failure to meaningfully bend the curve of age-related illness represents one of the greatest unmet challenges in modern medicine. At the same time,he framed this reality as a powerful opportunity; one that calls for new approaches capable of extending not just how long people live, but how well they live.

Dr. Jamie Justice, EVP of Health at XPRIZE Foundation, emphasized the unifying biology underlying many age-related diseases, arguing thataging itself offers a shared target for intervention rather than a collection of isolated conditions. Drawing on evidence from animal models and translational research, she highlighted the growing ability to modulate this biology in ways that could impact multiple diseases simultaneously. She underscored XPRIZE’s focus on advancing these insights into clinical trials, signaling a shift from theoretical promise to real-world validation.

Dr. Filip Knop, Chief Medical Officer, SVP Medical & Translational Science at Novo Nordisk, connected emerging longevity science with well-established drivers of healthy aging, pointing to caloric restriction and physical activity as consistent factors across preclinical, epidemiological, and human studies.He described how therapies such as semaglutide may deliver broad benefits by acting on these same biological pathways, reducing caloric intake and supporting physical function.Importantly, he emphasized that growing evidence suggests the relationship between lifespan and healthspan is not fixed, reinforcing the possibility of meaningful intervention.

Dr. Eric Verdin, CEO of The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, articulated the central scientific promise of the healthy aging field: that many chronic diseases share common aging-driven mechanisms.He highlighted both animal models and human centenarians as compelling evidence that these mechanisms can be modulated, noting that centenarians spend a remarkably small fraction of their lives affected by age-related disease.This contrast, he argued, offers a powerful proof point that compressing morbidity – and not just extending life – is biologically achievable.

Joe Betts-LaCroix, CEO of Retro Biosciences, focused on the emerging biological understanding of interventions that meaningfully improve healthspan, emphasizing caloric restriction, GLP-1 agonists, and physical activity as some of the most impactful levers identified to date. He highlighted exercise as a particularly underutilized intervention, pointing to the growing field of “exerkines” as researchers begin to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying physical activity.His remarks underscored the breadth of untapped opportunity in translating these biological insights into scalable, preventative strategies.

Serving as the session leader,Dr. Michael Ringel,COO of Life Biosciencesframed aging as the most universal, and consequential, biological condition facing humanity.He emphasized that aging begins far earlier than most people realize, with measurable declines in physical and cognitive function starting as early as the third decade of life. By underscoring that more than 90% of morbidity and mortality in the developed world stems from age-related diseases, he positioned healthy aging not as a niche scientific pursuit, but as a central challenge for healthcare systems, research priorities, and society at large.

ALZHEIMER'S: WHAT A GLOBAL CHALLENGE REVEALS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HEALTH

As one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases among older adults, Alzheimer’s disease represents both a serious challenge within the broader healthy-aging agenda and a critical test of the biopharmaceutical industry’s capacity for innovation and response. Under moderation of Dr. Steve Yang, Co-CEO of WuXi AppTec, George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, and Dr. Stacie Weninger, President of the F-Prime Biomedical Research Initiative, framed Alzheimer’s disease as a “stress test” for global healthcare systems. Their discussion examined how scientific innovation can be effectively translated into practice and how accessibility, affordability, and global adoption of therapies can be improved.

Dr. Stacie Weninger emphasized the need to rethink how neurodegenerative diseases are approached, particularly in areas where effective treatments remain limited. She argued that research itself must increasingly function as a form of care, expanding patient access to investigational therapies earlier, much as oncology has done, in order to accelerate development while addressing urgent unmet needs.Central to this shift, she underscored, is the rapid evolution of biomarkers,noting the field’s progression from post-mortem diagnosis to advanced imaging and, more recently, to CSF and blood-based biomarkers that are fundamentally reshaping how diseases like Alzheimer’s can be detected, studied, and ultimately treated.

George Vradenburg highlighted the transformative potential of scalable, low-cost technologies to change the global trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease. He pointed to emerging tools such as blood-spot testing and voice-based detection systems as breakthroughs that could enable early identification of cognitive impairment far beyond traditional clinical settings.By leveraging smartphones, digital platforms, and telehealth, he described a future in which assessment and treatment can reach patients worldwide,bringing detection, monitoring, and care closer to where people live, and fundamentally expanding access to brain health innovation.

Dr. Steve Yang, Co-CEO of WuXi AppTec and session leader, pointed out thatevery challenge has the potential to become an opportunity — an opportunity for scientists to innovate and develop new solutions. Also, the unit cost of new technologies and new modalites could be very high at the beginning. Butas the industry moves along the learning curve, we learn to do things faster and more cost-effectively while maintaining the same quality and efficiency. Over time, those costs come down, which in turn drives broader adoption.

DEFINING THE NEXT ERA OF R&D

In the panel discussion “Defining the Next Era of R&D,” representatives from leading venture capital firms discussed how technology platforms and R&D systems must evolve to meet emerging scientific opportunities and patient needs, and how more effective models of collaboration can help the industry achieve faster progress and deliver better innovative solutions.

Dr. Jason Hafler, Managing Director of Sanofi Ventures, framed the future of R&D through a pragmatic, ecosystem-first lens,emphasizing that large pharmaceutical organizations bring a diverse and flexible set of tools to advance innovation.He highlighted the importance of clarity and transparency between innovators and pharma partners, underscoring that alignment on needs, whether through M&A, business development, or equity investment, is critical to efficiently navigating complex organizations and ultimately getting medicines to patients faster.

Dr. Avak Kahvejian, General Partner at Flagship Pioneering,situated the industry firmly within what he described as the “biological century,” expressing long-term optimism that advances in AI will dramatically improve the probability of success in drug discovery.Looking out over a 25-year horizon, he pointed to a quiet but meaningful transformation already underway – one in which smarter, more deliberate approaches to R&D are beginning to reduce attrition, lower costs, and enable broader global access to improved healthspan.

Dr. Nisa Leung, Managing Partner of Aulis Capital, focused on the realities of today’s funding environment, noting that capital discipline has become a defining feature of successful innovation.She emphasized that the companies poised to deliver both outsized impact and returns are those led by frugal, fast-moving entrepreneurs who prioritize efficiency and innovation.In a constrained funding climate, she underscored that every dollar must work harder, shaping not only company behavior, but the future contours of R&D itself.

Dr. Vijay Pande, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at VZVC, looked ahead to a future in which public expectations of medicine fundamentally shift – from treating disease to preventing it altogether.He described prevention and longevity as emerging pillars of healthcare, enabled in large part by AI’s ability to transform the economics of care delivery.While ambitious, he argued that the foundations for this future are already being laid, signaling a broader redefinition of what success in medicine will mean over the next 25 years.

Dr. Henrijette Richter, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners,highlighted Europe’s growing strength as a global engine of biotech innovation,pointing to its long-standing scientific excellence now increasingly matched by robust private capital. She described a positive, reinforcing cycle – larger European funds, deeper collaboration, and rising interest from U.S. investors – as evidence that Europe’s role in shaping the future of R&D is expanding, collaborative, and globally competitive.

Dr. Tim Shannon, General Partner at Canaan Partners, brought the discussion back to the molecular level,spotlighting induced proximity as a powerful example of how next-generation pharmacology can unlock entirely new therapeutic possibilities.He emphasized that this approach enables scalable, small-molecule solutions capable of addressing biological problems beyond the reach of traditional modalities. By combining novelty with manufacturability and cost efficiency, he underscored how such innovations can extend the reach of advanced therapies to large patient populations worldwide.

Dr. Steve Yang summarized this panel, as well as the WuXi Global Forum, in three key words. First isoptimism: there is a palpable sense of optimism throughout the discussions today. Second is “brave new world”, as transforming technology will fundamentally reshape the entire industry ecosystem. And finally, here and now, it’s clear that there are tremendous opportunities — and realexcitement— as we look ahead to 2026.

REINFORCING THE SHARED SPIRIT OF INDUSTRY

Tying the forum together was a powerful throughline of reflection and inspiration from special guest Jon Goode, whose spoken-word performance wove together the opening, midpoint, and closing moments of the day. Through three thoughtfully crafted segments, he gave voice to the shared purpose that underpins the global life sciences community, reminding the audience that innovation is not only about technologies or timelines, but about the human lives touched by every decision made along the way. His words captured the essence of collaboration, responsibility, and shared strength, offering a moment to pause, reflect, and recommit to advancing breakthroughs that turn hope into healing. As the final notes of the forum settled, his message echoed what the day had made clear: progress in medicine is built together, sustained by purpose, and driven forward for patients, families, and communities around the world.

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