Innolake Biopharma Unveils New Shanghai Operations Center and Announces Strategic Partnerships

On October 23, 2021, the unveiling ceremony for the new site of InnoLake Pharma’s Shanghai Operations Center and the signing ceremony for strategic development partnerships were successfully held at the Press Hall of the Oriental Sports Center in Qiantan, Shanghai. Nearly 200 guests, including government officials from Hangzhou and Shanghai, industry partners, investors, academic representatives, medical professionals, and media attendees, gathered together to witness this significant moment marking InnoLake’s entry into a new phase of development.

At the celebration ceremony, Dr. Xia Mingde, Founder and Chairman of InnoLake, delivered a welcome address and outlined the company’s development history and strategic planning objectives. Dr. Xia noted that, with multidimensional support from the Hangzhou Qiantang New Area government, relevant Shanghai municipal leaders, Pre-A round investors, and domestic and international partners, InnoLake has completed its first-phase R&D product portfolio layout, team building, and in-house R&D capability development within just one year since its inception in 2020, thereby entering a trajectory of accelerated growth. Subsequently, Dr. Garry Neil, representing InnoLake’s Scientific Advisory Board from across the Pacific, delivered congratulatory remarks via video link. Dr. Neil, former President of Johnson & Johnson’s Pharmaceutical Research and Development Division, Chairman of the Board of Arena Pharmaceuticals, and Chief Scientific Officer of Avalo Therapeutics, expressed his hope to collaborate with InnoLake in integrating innovative new drug resources between China and the United States, with the shared vision and goal of igniting the light of hope for patients worldwide.

InnoLake, an innovative pharmaceutical company headquartered in Hangzhou with commercial operations in Shanghai and positioned for international development, has received strong support from both local governments during its growth. At the subsequent celebration, Mr. Shi Feng, Deputy District Mayor of Qiantang District, Hangzhou, and Mr. Dong Shupei, First-Level Researcher at the Biological Medicine Division of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, delivered congratulatory remarks. They expressed their satisfaction and high recognition of InnoLake’s remarkable achievements in a short period, while also extending sincere hopes and best wishes for its future development. Deputy District Mayor Shi Feng repeatedly affirmed his commitment to supporting the biopharmaceutical industry in Qiantang District and the substantial growth of InnoLake. Both leaders independently highlighted the greater opportunities brought by the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region for the biopharmaceutical industry.

InnoLake’s Shanghai Operations Center, located in the Qiantan CBD of Shanghai, officially commenced operations after the National Day holiday this year, with Shanghai-based employees having moved into the new offices. The core team members of InnoLake boast an average of over 20 years of experience working at multinational pharmaceutical companies and leading R&D-driven biopharmaceutical enterprises. Their professional expertise spans all key functional areas, including early-stage small- and large-molecule drug development, clinical trial development, regulatory submissions, and business development and partnerships. The launch of the Shanghai Operations Center also marks the completion of InnoLake’s core management and technical team structure, ushering in a new phase of development. Meanwhile, the 5,000-square-meter facility located in the Medicine Port of Qiantang District, Hangzhou²The R&D and Pilot Scale-up Center, as well as the Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Office in Beijing, are also under intensive design and construction. In the future, the company plans to establish an International Cooperation Center and R&D laboratories in the United States. At the celebration event, Dr. Xia Mingde and Mr. Chen Rulei, the two founders of InnoLake, joined hands with distinguished guests from various fields to jointly inaugurate the lighting ceremony for the Shanghai Operations Center.

Mr. Chen Rulai, Chief Operating Officer of InnoLake, presided over the signing ceremony between Dr. Xia Mingde, Chairman of InnoLake, and leaders of key strategic partners, including Professor Wang Yanming, Chairman of Huaming Daokang; Dr. Chen Zhisheng, CEO of WuXi Biologics; Dr. Chen Shuhui, President of Research at WuXi AppTec; and Mr. Qu Rishan, General Manager of Dongda Bio. The leaders of the partner organizations also extended their sincere congratulations on the success of the collaborative projects and the development of InnoLake. These strategic collaborations will efficiently support InnoLake’s rapid advancement in key areas, including the layout of original innovative drugs, the establishment of self-developed systems, preclinical and CMC development, and clinical-stage product development.

Following the signing ceremony, Academician Shi Yufang, a member of the Academia Europaea and an internationally renowned scientist in translational stem cell medicine, delivered an insightful lecture on “Stem Cells, Immunology, and Regenerative Medicine.” He encouraged attendees to conduct solid foundational research at the source of innovation, foster close collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions, and rapidly translate basic research findings into optimal therapeutic regimens that benefit patients. He emphasized the need for confidence in developing first-in-human (FIH) and best-in-class (BIC) new drugs in China that meet international standards. The next speaker was Dr. Wang Gang, Chief Scientist at Clarivate, who analyzed and presented the current landscape of new drug development in China and globally, along with trends in industry development and collaborative transactions.

Following the celebration, attendees continued their discussions at the subsequent reception and visited the InnoLake Shanghai Operations Center for guidance.

Innolake Biopharma is a new drug R&D enterprise focused on the fields of oncology and autoimmune diseases, dedicated to developing innovative therapies with international value to address unmet global clinical needs. Founded in 2020 by Dr. Xia Mingde and Mr. Chen Rulei, the company completed a Pre-A financing round of nearly RMB 300 million in March 2021. It was recognized as a quasi-unicorn enterprise in Hangzhou and listed among the “Top 100 Innovators in China’s Biopharmaceutical Industry Chain 2021.” By simultaneously establishing in-house small-molecule and large-molecule R&D platforms and forging strategic collaborations both domestically and internationally, Innolake has built its core technology and management teams and laid out its first-phase R&D pipeline. This includes approximately 10 first-in-class (FIC) and best-in-class (BIC) candidates leading in their respective niches, three of which have entered clinical trials. The company is currently raising Series A funding to accelerate the rapid advancement of its clinical and preclinical projects.