Nine Organizations Join Forces to Conclude the 11th CGT Industrial Park Tour at Bayer Co.Lab Shanghai

“‘Not engaging in rat race’ is not absolute; the key lies in leveraging ‘rat race’ to drive innovation.”

On the afternoon of November 28, the 11th stop of the “Go Further Without the Rat Race” CGT Industry Upgrade Series – Park Tour, hosted by the Healthcare Innovative Ecosystem Alliance (HIEA), co-hosted by Xingcheng Biotech, Yeasen Biotechnology, Lepu Biopharma, VectorBuilder, Shenyan Biotech, Tongli Haiyuan, and Tianda Tianfa, and organized by VCBeat New Medicine, was successfully held at Bayer Co.Lab in Shanghai.

This event brought together a group of leading enterprises in the CGT industry chain, each contributing their unique core competencies and high-quality resources. The aim of the event is to provide continuous momentum and solid foundational support for product development and industrial upgrading among innovative CGT pharmaceutical companies through collaborative efforts.

This event is organized byLiu Xiao, Vice President of Business and Marketing at Xingcheng Biotech, and Deputy Director of the MAH Special Committee of the China Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management AssociationDr.Serving as the moderator, Dr. Liu Xiao guided the attendees through lively exchanges and discussions, fostering connections and collaboration among participants to jointly explore pathways for the industry’s future development. During the event, guests engaged in in-depth dialogues on core issues facing the cell and gene therapy (CGT) sector under the current landscape, including financing and business development (BD), pipeline advancement, and partnership opportunities, thereby injecting new vitality into the industry’s sustained growth.

▲Liu Xiao | Vice President of Business and Marketing at Xingcheng Bio, Deputy Director of the MAH Special Committee of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management Association

This event received strong support from Bayer.Huang Danjie, Vice President of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Head of the China Co-Creation Innovation CenterDistinguished guests were welcomed to Bayer Co.Lab, where the company highlighted its latest open innovation progress and strategic layout in China. As a global co-creation platform network dedicated to frontier innovations in life sciences, Bayer Co.Lab connects Bayer’s global innovation and collaboration networks to empower early-stage innovations and accelerate the growth of startups. It focuses primarily on breakthrough innovations in cell and gene therapies, oncology, and new technology platforms. Since its official opening in Zhangjiang, Shanghai this September, Bayer Co.Lab has garnered significant attention and strong support from China’s pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem and local biopharmaceutical companies. Recruitment of tenant companies is actively underway, with four companies having successfully signed lease agreements to date.

Huang Danjie further expressed her warm welcome for in-depth discussions and ongoing exchanges with the Bayer Co.Lab team, aiming to explore and foster more collaboration opportunities and work hand in hand with partners to drive innovative development in the pharmaceutical industry. During the event, Xu Di, Head of Bayer Co.Lab China, along with team members, accompanied attendees on a site visit to the Bayer Co.Lab co-creation space located within the Shanghai Biopharmaceutical Frontier Industry Innovation Center park. They provided detailed introductions to the laboratory equipment, shared office facilities, and entrepreneurial coaching and services offered to resident companies.

▲ Huang Danjie | Vice President, Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Head of China Collaboration & Innovation Center

▲ Xu Di | Head of Bayer Co.Lab China, providing on-site tour and commentary

Furthermore,Guan Jingjing, Strategic Cooperation Director of Shanghai FrontierIt was stated that since its opening on September 10, the Shanghai Frontier Park has successfully attracted more than ten tenant companies and 12 ecosystem partners, including the Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment Fund of Funds, which has also registered within the park. With the slogan “Boundless Integration,” we are committed to building a wall-less R&D center.

Shanghai Frontier Park is not merely a physical space, but also a platform for innovative collaboration, gathering key innovation elements including government, industry, academia, healthcare, research, capital, and park management. The park’s advanced facilities provide enterprises with diversified R&D spaces. Through modular laboratories and high-end scientific equipment, it helps companies minimize R&D costs, accelerate growth, and facilitate the translation of scientific achievements into practical applications. Guan Jingjing expressed her hope to extensively connect with outstanding partners within the innovation ecosystem to jointly promote the prosperous development of the park’s ecosystem.

▲Guan Jingjing | Director of Strategic Cooperation, Shanghai Frontier

During the keynote speech session,Wang Lijun, CEO of Xingcheng BiotechCMC Pitfall Avoidance GuideThe development of a new drug requires many critical decisions in the early stages to lay a solid foundation for its entire lifecycle. Both parties must adopt a drug-development mindset, working backward from the end goal. The CMO/CRO provides “stable” services to help the sponsor establish a robust CMC foundation early on, ensuring stability and excellence in process development, scale-up, quality control, and cost management. The most important principle for the service provider is “Promise and Deliver.” The CMO/CRO company must stand in the sponsor’s shoes and make every effort to help them avoid pitfalls.

In his presentation, Wang Lijun emphasized the critical importance of ensuring product safety and efficacy. He also provided a detailed discussion on key aspects such as manufacturing processes, selection of production cell lines, studies on biological activity, and viral clearance validation. These foundational elements are of significant importance for facilitating the successful market approval of gene therapy products and promoting the healthy development of the industry as a whole.

▲ Wang Lijun | CEO of Xingcheng Biotech

During the project showcase segment of the event, five innovative companies specializing in CGT (Cell and Gene Therapy) R&D took the stage in succession, brilliantly highlighting their outstanding achievements in cutting-edge research findings, innovative technologies and applications, as well as their respective growth potential. Following this, a panel comprising Xu Di, Head of Bayer Co.Lab China; Qi Fei, Executive Director at Legend Capital; Shi Yongling, Partner at Juming Venture Capital; Chen Yun, Partner at Chuangye Fund; and Gu Jiefeng, Deputy General Manager of Zhangke Herun, engaged in in-depth discussions on each company’s presentation. This session not only provided attendees with rich industry insights but also offered valuable feedback and recommendations to the CGT R&D enterprises.

▲Xiao Xiao | Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of BeiNian Medicine

Belief BioMed, established in 2018, focuses on cutting-edge gene therapies for rare genetic diseases and chronic conditions. The company has independently developed various engineered novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids. Compared with natural AAV capsids, these novel capsids offer higher delivery efficiency, stronger tissue targeting, and lower immunogenicity. Its flagship product, BBM-H901, is a gene therapy for hemophilia B. Its New Drug Application (NDA) was successfully accepted by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in July 2024 and included in the priority review and approval process, making it the first gene therapy for genetic diseases in China to submit an NDA. Furthermore, Belief BioMed boasts a robust product pipeline addressing multiple serious conditions with unmet clinical needs, extensively covering both rare and common diseases, demonstrating vigorous growth and promising future prospects.

▲ Liu Li | Co-founder of Xinjian Ruida

As a pioneer in gene therapy for cardiomyopathy in China, Xinjian Ruida is accelerating the development of gene therapy drugs for cardiovascular diseases with its top-tier R&D team, bringing new hope to patients with cardiomyopathy. It is reported that the company has developed two pipelines targeting common genotypic mutations associated with cardiomyopathy, both of which have initially completed proof-of-concept studies and demonstrated strong therapeutic potential. Meanwhile, Xinjian Ruida’s proprietary high-precision, high-activity gene editing technology platform facilitates the expansion and development of therapies for multiple novel indications. Starting from rare diseases, Xinjian Ruida is progressively refining its strategic layout in the field of cardiovascular diseases.

▲ Lijia Ma | Founder of Westlake Cloud Valley Intelligent Medicine, Distinguished Researcher at Westlake University

As an innovative force in the field of gene therapy, Westlake Cloud Valley Intelligent Pharma is committed to leveraging its AIDD platform to drive the innovation and development of gene therapy products. Its primary product pipeline includes gene therapies for primary immunodeficiency diseases, as well as multiple high-value in vivo gene therapy programs. Notably, its AI-evolved AAV delivery vectors have achieved efficient and specific gene delivery across multiple tissues. Furthermore, Westlake Cloud Valley Intelligent Pharma has pioneered the world’s first AAV-based in vivo CAR-T therapy, offering new possibilities for in vivo gene treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.

▲ Tan Chang | Vice President of Xingming Youjian

Xingming Youjian, established in 2021, is an innovative enterprise dedicated to gene therapy for ophthalmic diseases. Leveraging optogenetics as its core platform, the team has developed a globally first-in-class pipeline of ophthalmic gene therapies targeting conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and dry age-related macular degeneration. Clinical trials for late-stage retinitis pigmentosa have demonstrated favorable safety and efficacy profiles. The company also has ongoing R&D pipelines for dry age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other indications.

▲ Song Xu | Founder of Lingtaike Biotech

Lingtaike Biopharma, established in 2021, is China’s first innovative enterprise dedicated to the research and development of lncRNA-based therapeutics. The company has currently identified two preclinical candidates (PCCs), demonstrating the capabilities of its modular lncRNA drug discovery platform. Notably, its transdermal delivery platform has exhibited significant therapeutic efficacy; LT-010, a small nucleic acid drug for androgenetic alopecia, has shown superior and more sustained hair regrowth effects compared to conventional therapies in investigator-initiated trials (IITs).

Panel 1, moderated by Dr. Liu Xiao, with participating guestsWu Chengguang, BD Director at Tianze Yuntai; Xu Yi, BD Director at Huida Genomics; Chen Yijun, CEO of Yuanmai Cell; Guo Xiaoning, CEO of Binuoji; Tan Qingqiao, CTO of Dingxin Genomics; Luo Xueting, VP of R&D at Xingming YoujianShared diverse perspectives and in-depth insights on this topic.

During challenging times, gene therapy companies need to coordinate financing, business development (BD), and pipeline advancement. Maintaining an open mindset, clearly defining product competitiveness, conducting market education, and preserving flexibility and innovation are key.

●Maintain an open mindset and respond flexibly to market changes. In terms of financing, actively seek collaborations; both pipeline partnerships and outright acquisitions are options worth considering. Meanwhile, pipeline development must not stagnate—leverage existing resources to accelerate preclinical and clinical studies.

●Keep in mind the importance of product competitiveness and strategic alignment. Enterprises need to clearly define their differentiated advantages and present these strengths in the most effective way to attract potential partners. When selecting partners, emphasis should be placed on strategic fit to ensure both parties can jointly advance the project.

●Clarify the Necessity of Market Education. Currently, there are still many cognitive barriers in the field of gene therapy. Companies need to conduct market education through various channels to improve public and investor awareness and acceptance of gene therapy. This will also help companies achieve better results in financing and business development (BD).

▲Panel 1—How Can Fundraising BD and Pipeline Advancement Work in Tandem During Extraordinary Times?

Panel 2 was also moderated by Dr. Liu Xiao,Wang Lijun, CEO of Xingcheng Bio; Song Dongliang, Vice President of Overseas Business at Yeasen Biotechnology; Liu Jigang, Vice President of Marketing at Lepu Biopharma; Li Lianjie, Commercial Director at VectorBuilder; Chen Lin, BD Director at Shenyuan Bio; Geng Shaojun, Co-founder of Tongli Haiyuan Bio; Xu Meibao, Technical Director at Tianda Tianfa; and Wu Ning, CEO of Weike Bio.and other industry leaders engaged in a heated discussion on the theme of the “Table-Flipping Alliance.”

“The Table-Flipping Alliance” is not only a challenge to the traditional landscape of vested interests, but also a new opportunity for the industry to jointly explore innovation and promote shared development.

Against the backdrop of the booming biomanufacturing sector in China, both industry insiders and external stakeholders must place greater emphasis on product quality, committing to the practical application of innovative technologies to deliver tangible clinical value. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises and researchers should actively engage in global competition by forming a “Game-Changing Alliance,” leveraging high-quality products and technologies to challenge foreign competitors and demonstrate China’s strength. By harnessing the power of this alliance, China’s premium products can integrate more rapidly into the global competitive landscape, thereby accelerating technological innovation and the implementation of novel applications.

Attendees at the conference issued a strong call for more enterprises and researchers to join this alliance, working hand in hand to drive leapfrog development in science, technology, and pharmaceuticals, thereby securing greater well-being for patients worldwide. This is because “flipping the table” signifies not only a challenge but also heralds a transformation of industry order. Such a transformation requires the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to jointly write a new chapter in the industry’s development.

▲Panel 2—The Table-Flipping Alliance

At the Pharmaceutical Link Dinner,Li Rui, Partner at Button CapitalBased on insights into the NewCo model, it is evident that the NewCo structure does not conflict with business development (BD) activities. Furthermore, NewCos can maximize value by negotiating with multiple fund counterparties, thereby establishing a reasonable price foundation for eventual acquisition by multinational corporations (MNCs). In addition to the typical NewCo transactions managed by overseas USD-denominated funds that hire local U.S. operational teams, the market is seeing the emergence of NewCo deals led by Chinese teams, which offer superior solutions. In the early stages, Chinese teams can leverage local advantages and resources for rapid launch and growth. As projects progress into the mid-to-late stages, the team gradually integrates with overseas personnel, forming a hybrid structure that combines Chinese and international expertise. This approach fully leverages the respective strengths of both sides, further enhancing the NewCo’s competitiveness and growth potential.

▲ Li Rui | Partner, Niukou Capital

With this, the 11th stop of the “【No Need to Rat Race, Go Further】CGT Industry Upgrade Series · Park Tour” has come to a successful conclusion! This also marks the final event of the year. We will continue next year! We welcome more outstanding industry partners to join us, going further and steadier!

▲Group Photo of Guests

▲ Highlights