On March 11, METiS TechBio, an “AI + drug delivery” company, announced the appointment of Dr. Wei Xu as Chief Scientist, stating that he will lead the company’s drug discovery division and advance the mRNA pipeline to the clinical stage.
The data shows that Xu Wei isPh.D. in Medicine (Immunology) from Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands, and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, USA, previously worked at Roche, Innovent Biologics, andNumab Therapeutics，Has accumulated extensive R&D experience in multiple fields such as immunology, oncology, and cell therapy.According to observations by Zhi Drug Bureau, METiS TechBio did not previously have a Chief Scientist position. The publicly announced R&D head was Academician Hongmin Chen, one of the co-founders, while the AI algorithm section was mainly overseen by Chief Operating Officer Dr. Wenshou Wang.In other words,Xu Wei is the first Chief Scientist officially announced by METiS TechBio.。Generally speaking, the chief scientist is often highly educated with a pure academic background and plays a leading role in drug research and development. A change in this position also indicates an adjustment in the company's R&D direction.According to the company's press release, another key research focus of METiS TechBio is on nucleic acid drugs such as mRNA, and Wei Xu has been hired.It also conveys to the outside world that the company,mRNA, etc.There will be more investment in the field.
FormerlyChief Scientific Officer of Roche USIn 1994,Xu Wei was admitted to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. In 2001, he went to Leiden University in the Netherlands to pursue a master's degree, and later obtained a Ph.D. in Medicine (Immunology) from the Leiden University Medical Center, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship from the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research in the United States.Xu Wei started his career at a high level, directly joining Roche as a senior scientist after graduation. As the laboratory head and project leader, he led the identification and development of new targets for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.Later promoted to Chief Scientific Officer of Roche USA, taking on additional responsibilities for leading cancer immunotherapy drug discovery (from target evaluation to early clinical trials). In collaboration withMatrix cross-functional interactions in antibody engineering, preclinical and clinical pharmacology, DMPK, toxicology, biomarkers, clinical development, regulatory affairs, and patentswith rich experience in this aspect.In 2018, Xu Wei left Roche, joined Innovent Biologics, and established and led the Discovery Biology team, focusing on novel biologics such as multispecific antibodies and antibody-cytokine fusions.During this period, a cell therapy team (Innovent Cells) was also established, covering everything from discovery to GMP manufacturing and clinical development.Among them,Xu Wei led the development of drugs such as ibi318.ibi318 is the world's first PD-1/PD-L1 bispecific antibody jointly developed by Innovent Biologics and Eli Lilly.Before joining METiS TechBio, Wei Xu served as the Chief Scientific Officer of numab therapeutics (Switzerland).Responsible for formulating the company's overall R&D and pipeline strategy。
Overall, METiS TechBio and Xu Wei are complementary to each other.METiS TechBio was founded in 2020 by Dr. Cai-Da Lai, Dr. Wen-Shou Wang, and Academician Hong-Min Chen, primarily focusing on drug delivery and drug discovery, with an emphasis on nucleic acid drugs. Initially spun off from XtalPi, the company mainly engaged in the reformulation of small-molecule drugs. After Hong-Min Chen joined, the scope expanded to include nucleic acid-related research and development.The founding team of METiS TechBio all came from MIT.The CEO, Cai-Da Lai, holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT. During his doctoral studies, he served as a researcher at the Novartis-MIT Center, where he engaged in research on drug crystal form processes using computational models and big data. He also founded an AI + IoT company.
Chief Operating Officer Wang Wenshou is a scientist at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. During his postdoctoral period, he mainly focused on the synthesis of polymeric biomaterials and their applications in medical devices and controlled drug release. He also co-founded a high-precision 3D printing company based on machine learning.Chen Hongmin, Head of the R&D Department, is an expert in drug formulation development and delivery. During her Ph.D. studies at MIT, she was mentored by Dr. Robert Langer, a member of the three U.S. National Academies and a master in controlled drug release. Previously, she also served as the Director of Formulation R&D at TransForm Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), where she developed high-throughput formulation technology platforms.From the personal resume, Xu Wei is indeed the chief scientist.CorrectCandidates,Can make up for METiS TechBio's lack in traditional drug research and development.AI pharmaceutical companies need to attract talent who are proficient in AI technology., also inseparable fromThe leading figure in traditional pharmaceutical research and development.Moreover, Xu Wei’s experience working both in China and internationally aligns perfectly with METiS TechBio's global R&D strategy. His expertise in clinical development and team building will further propel METiS TechBio's growth.
Notably, Xu Wei's personal LinkedIn page shows that he has served as the Chief Scientist of METiS TechBio since December last year, and the announcement was only made public now. This delay might be due to waiting for stability before making an official announcement or possibly preparing for the company’s next round of financing.METiS TechBio once revealed to Zhiyao Bureau internally: the company might have a Series C financing in the first half of this year. The amount of financing was not disclosed, and the financing would be carried out based on the CEO's own network and the company's financial team.METiS TechBio spoke highly of Xu Wei, praising him while also highlighting that mRNA drugs will be another strategic focus for the company.Especially in 2023, the Nobel Prize was awarded to mRNA technology. Coupled with the over $6 billion high-profile collaboration between small nucleic acid pioneers Bowang Pharmaceuticals and Ribo Biotech at the start of the year, the industry has felt the wave of progress.
Academician Chen Hongmin said, "We believe that under his leadership, our drug discovery department will achieve greater breakthroughs, accelerate the development of the mRNA pipeline, and develop more effective therapeutic drugs for patients worldwide."Dr. Lai Caida said, "Next, nucleic acid drugs will be our another strategic focus. We look forward to METiS TechBio achieving even more brilliant accomplishments in the field of drug development under the leadership of Dr. Xu Wei."As early as 2021, Lai Caida mentioned in an interview that, regardingmRNAFor nucleic acid drugs, the company is building a new platform. The appointment of Xu Wei, who has a background in medicinal chemistry, is not only to successfully tackle the protracted battle of drug development but also to convey to the outside world that METiS TechBio ismRNAThere will be more investment or progress in the field.At present, METiS TechBio has also made some achievements.Through its own platform, it has rapidly built over 10 drug pipelines, covering small-molecule drugs and nucleic acid drugs based on mRNA, with a focus on the central nervous system, oncology, and rare diseases.Notably, on March 14, "CRO Companies in the Era of Large Models" Shuimu Molecular also announced that Dr. Li Xiuyan, former executive of U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson and former vice president of WuXi AppTec, has joined Shuimu Molecular as Co-Chief Scientist.Dr. Li Xiuyan graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy in the United States, and completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at the Department of Chemistry, Peking University. She has nearly three decades of hands-on, end-to-end experience in pharmaceutical R&D and commercialization.In January this year, Tech&AI pharmaceutical company ENSEM Therapeutics also appointed Dr. Jeff Kutok, M.D., Ph.D., as the company's Chief Scientific Officer.
Dr. Kutok is a physician-scientist with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, translational scientific research, and biotechnology leadership, possessing extensive and specialized expertise in researching high-value, difficult-to-drug targets, immuno-oncology, and epigenetics.
For a pipeline-driven AI pharmaceutical company, strong drug research and development capabilities will be crucial support for pipeline development, and the chief scientist is directly responsible for the entire pharmaceutical company's R&D direction, making them indispensable.—The End—
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