Qiji Investment Successfully Hosts 2024 Healthcare Innovation Summit in Taizhou

On January 4, 2025, the 2024 Qiji Investment Summit was successfully held at the Haiyan Jinling Hotel in Taizhou. Themed “Uniting Ecosystem Strengths · Bridging Industrial Innovation,” the summit aimed to build a platform for exchange and collaboration among industry leaders and partners, jointly exploring future development trends in the healthcare industry.

The conference was honored to welcome nearly 200 distinguished guests, including several academicians and senior leaders, close to 50 investors, and over 100 industry elites, experts, and scholars. As the host, Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group provided the venue for the Qiji Summit and extended strong support to Qiji Investment. Mr. Xu Haoyu, Chairman of Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group, personally delivered the opening address for Qiji Investment.

Xu Haoyu, Chairman of Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group

Subsequently, the summit focused on the themes of healthcare ecosystem and industrial innovation, delving into the pathways for innovative development in both areas through a series of engaging keynote speeches and roundtable discussions.

A major highlight of this summit was the delivery of numerous compelling keynote reports and speeches by many industry leaders.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Jiang Jiandong

Academician Jiang Jiandong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering delivered a keynote address titled “The Way to Unfold the Scroll of Chinese Science: Pharmacy,” elucidating the remarkable contributions and development trends of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the field of new drug innovation. He pointed out that Chinese scientists have achieved a world-leading position in the molecular identification of plant compounds, and expressed earnest expectations for further exploration and excavation of the TCM treasure trove, as well as for innovating theoretical systems that address both root causes and symptoms while harmonizing Yin and Yang.

Song Ruilin, Executive President of the China Association for the Promotion of Pharmaceutical Innovation

Song Ruilin, Executive President of the China Pharmaceutical Innovation Promotion Association (PhIRDA), delivered a keynote speech titled “High-Quality Development and Prospects of Pharmaceutical Innovation in China.” He pointed out that the current healthcare and medical insurance systems exert significant constraints on the innovative drug market, and basic medical insurance is insufficient to support its growth. Only through coordinated coverage with commercial insurance and multi-dimensional reforms of market policies can this dilemma be resolved. Meanwhile, it is necessary to expand diversified payment channels and support commercial health insurance. It is expected that innovative drugs will usher in more development opportunities by 2025.

Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Engineering, Zhang Dan

Dr. Zhang Dan, a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Engineering, emphasized that drug R&D strategies urgently need to be iterated in the new environment. China’s clinical efficiency is as high as 15 times that of the United States, with abundant patient resources. Furthermore, national policies provide strong support for various novel technologies, such as cell therapy, and new drug molecules. By leveraging the capabilities of clinical CROs, there is promising potential to identify high-quality drug candidates and introduce them to the international market.

Shanghai GoBroad Cancer Hospital, Li Jin

Dr. Li Jin, President of Gaobo Hospital, delivered a speech titled “Innovative R&D of Anti-tumor Drugs in China.” Dr. Li first clarified the primary direction of anti-tumor drug development in China, which focuses on alleviating patients’ suffering and addressing their needs. He pointed out that population aging is driving sustained growth in the biopharmaceutical market, marking a golden era for biopharmaceutical companies. He called on the medical community to work together to create a brilliant future for the biopharmaceutical industry.

Ms. Zhang Li, Founding Managing Partner of Qiji Investment, delivered a presentation titled “Seizing the Moment: Full Steam Ahead,” introducing the firm’s outstanding performance in 2024 and outlining its growth prospects for 2025 to the attendees.

Zhang Li, Founding Managing Partner of Qiji Investment

Looking back at 2024, Chinese innovative drugs demonstrated robust global competitiveness, with rapid development and a concentrated burst of achievements. Amid this new landscape, Qiji Investment delivered outstanding returns. Grounded in science, Qiji Investment aspires to become the Flagship Pioneering of China’s investment sector, continuously providing steadfast support and companionship to scientist-entrepreneurs.

Guided by this strategy, Qiji Investment successfully invested in several drug development companies founded by top-tier Chinese scientists worldwide in 2024. Looking ahead to the new year, Qiji Investment will continue to pursue high-quality investments, adhere to its incubator-oriented VC strategic direction, and work hand in hand with investors and entrepreneurs to leverage complementary strengths and achieve win-win cooperation.

Liu Yongjun, Special Advisor to Qiji Investment and Former Global Head of R&D at Sanofi

Dr. Liu Yongjun, Special Advisor to Qiji Investment and former Global Head of R&D at Sanofi, provided an in-depth analysis of the similarities and differences between Chinese and American pharmaceutical companies in project initiation, team building, and strategy. He pointed out that China boasts vibrant innovation, high efficiency, a complete industrial chain with CRO support, and an abundance of young talent, offering broad prospects for the future. However, it is necessary to break through the craftsman-led model of molecular innovation and transition toward a disease-area-driven innovation model grounded in science and led by senior scientists with deep expertise in specific therapeutic areas. Strengthening in-depth collaboration with university professors and capital investors is essential, with great anticipation for China to develop blockbuster drugs exceeding $4 billion in value.

At this investment summit, Qiji Capital proudly introduced the new members of the 2024 Qiji Family to the guests. These outstanding enterprises include ALLYRNA, founded by Professor Chuan He, a world-renowned expert in post-transcriptional RNA modifications, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Wolf Prize laureate; PROSPECT, established by Dr. Shuhui Chen, former Chief Scientist at WuXi AppTec; RAYTHERA, launched by Dr. Qing Dong, former Chief Scientist at Hengrui Medicine and a serial entrepreneur with multiple successful ventures; and Lead Health, a key translational project from the academician team at Guangzhou National Laboratory. During the project awards ceremony, the founders of these star projects—Professor Chuan He, Dr. Shuhui Chen, and Dr. Qing Dong—recorded video messages for the Qiji Summit, sharing their journey of partnership with Qiji and expressing their best wishes for the firm’s future. Mr. Zhang Feng, founder of Lead Health, delivered an on-site speech, outlining the company’s development progress and extending his sincere gratitude for the strong support provided by the Qiji team.

2024 Special Feature on Qiji’s Portfolio Companies

The two exciting brainstorming sessions at this investment summit were moderated by Chai Yunfei and Yang Haiding, partners at Qiji Investment.

“Investment Is an Art of Mutual Empowerment and Achievement” Roundtable Discussion

During the morning session, Dr. Chai Yunfei, Partner at Qiji Investment, moderated a roundtable discussion titled “Investment: An Art of Mutual Empowerment and Achievement.” Xu Yerong, Vice President of Shanghai State-Owned Capital Investment; Dr. Liu Chunguang, Managing Partner at Tailong Investment Management; Zhang Ao, Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Xu Yanan, Head of China at Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Global External Innovation & Partnerships division; and Xu Ming, Chief Operating Officer of Abogen Biosciences, jointly explored how limited partners (LPs), general partners (GPs), and founders can unite for mutual support and shared success amid the biopharmaceutical industry’s downturn.

“Seeking a Second Growth Curve: BD, Global Expansion, and Newco” Roundtable Discussion

The afternoon brainstorming session centered on the recent hot topic, “Finding a Second Growth Curve: BD, Global Expansion, and Newco.” Yang Haiding, Partner at Qiji Investment, moderated the discussion, while Zhang Jinhua, Founder of Xunlu Medicine; Zhang Jiguo, President of Fosun Pharma’s Vaccine Division; Chen Jiazhen, Head of External Innovation at BioNTech; Sheng Yanci, General Manager of Global Strategic Projects at Henlius; and Dai Han, Chief Innovation Officer at Viva Biotech, provided insightful elaborations on their respective companies’ strategic considerations in global deployment. They conducted an in-depth analysis of the underlying business logic and explored diverse exit strategies for Chinese innovative drugs under the new landscape.

A special segment of this summit includes a thematic report meticulously prepared by Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group and a tour of the Yangtze River factory.

Wang Ruwei, Dean of the Research Institute of Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group

Dr. Wang Ruwei, Special Assistant to the Chairman, Chief Scientist, and Dean of the Research Institute of Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group, delivered a speech titled “Building a Nest to Attract Phoenixes, Leading the Ecosystem, and Empowering the Healthy Development of the Industry Chain.” He introduced the group’s strategic layout for leading the ecosystem and empowering the healthy development of the industry chain, while also elaborating on Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group’s development history, its planning for the big health industry, the commercial concepts of “health marketing” and “marketing health,” as well as the group’s aspiration to achieve high-quality development by building the strongest industry-centric ecosystem and empowering ecological growth.

Following the Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group report, the company also offered summit attendees an exclusive opportunity to visit its facilities, embarking on a journey to explore the bridges linking innovation with industry, and pharmaceuticals with broader healthcare. This was more than just a site tour; it served as a valuable platform for in-depth understanding and exchange, allowing guests to personally experience the corporate culture, innovative spirit, and unique appeal of the Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group.

With the successful conclusion of the Qiji Investment 2024 Investment Summit, themed “Uniting Ecosystem Strength · Bridging Industrial Innovation,” we jointly witnessed a feast of ideas and a collision of wisdom. Leveraging its exceptional resource integration capabilities, profound market insights, and keen business intuition, Qiji Investment has not only set a new benchmark in the industry but also earned extensive recognition and trust from partners through its core values and philosophy of “Gathering Talent to Benefit Society, Collaborating for Mutual Win, Standing Together Through Thick and Thin, and Creating Miracles.”

Qiji Investment firmly believes that although the path of investment is fraught with challenges, akin to “crossing the Yellow River blocked by ice, and climbing the Taihang Mountains covered in snow,” we possess the determination and courage embodied in the verse, “The formidable pass stretches long, truly as iron; yet today, we stride forward to conquer it anew.” Through close collaboration with our partners, Qiji Investment is poised to create more miracles and inject greater vitality and innovation into the healthcare investment industry. As the saying goes, “A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves; I’ll set my cloud-white sail to cross the sea which raves.” Qiji Investment takes it as its mission to “unite ecosystem strengths and bridge industrial innovation,” striving diligently alongside industry partners to navigate competitive currents and jointly embark on a new journey.

Qiji Investment is a professional investment firm specializing in early-stage investments in the healthcare sector. Its founding team has cultivated deep expertise in the medical and biotechnology fields for many years, possessing extensive experience in healthcare investment with top-tier domestic funds as well as comprehensive industry chain experience with leading global multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Qiji Investment primarily focuses on high-quality investment opportunities in fields driven by cutting-edge technologies, such as biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and in vitro diagnostics. It concentrates on niche segments with significant competitive advantages, with a particular emphasis on the global healthcare market and patients’ “unmet needs.” Committed to empowering portfolio companies and creating synergistic value, Qiji Investment jointly advances medical innovation and creates value for society.