In 2023, geopolitical risks continue to accumulate and the global economy experiences unprecedented challenges. As we enter 2024, the global situation remains complex and uncertainties continue to intensify. At this critical juncture,Fourth, executive educationUnited Tencent**, newWave NewsCenter and ChinaCNKI, a subsidiary of CNKIWenku, co-planning and launching the [Zhijian 2024] Future Trend Interview Series,Gather top scholars and industry leaders in various fields such as healthcare, new consumption, technology, energy and wealth management to explore the development trends and potential opportunities of various fields in 2024, and clear up business puzzles for entrepreneurs to explore the vast blue ocean.
In the first part of the interview, we invitedYinuoweiMs. Zhou Guoying, the founder, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Pharmaceutical, with her deep industry background and unique insightOncolysis was sharedInnovative practices in the field of viruses, China and the United States are innovatingPharmaceutical industryThe competitive landscape and evolution trend of the field, as well as her unique insights on corporate strategy adjustment and talent management in the process of transforming her identity from scientist to entrepreneur.
Zhou Guoying: Founder, CEO and Chairman of Yinuo Micro Pharmaceutical.
Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO of Yinuowei Pharmaceutical. She is the only winner of the 2019 International "Antiviral Women Scientist Award", the winner of the honorary title of "China's Top Ten Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs in 2021", and a doctor from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has been deeply engaged in the research field of antiviral infection and herpes oncolytic virus tumor immunity for nearly 30 years, presided over scientific research projects such as major new drug creation in the 13th Five-Year Plan, published more than 50 articles, authorized 17 international invention patents, and served as an editorial board member and reviewer of many international journals.
From scientific research to clinical oncolytic viruses, how to "fight the virus with poison" has become a weapon against cancer
q：Could you please give us a brief introduction to the basic principles and application areas of oncolytic viruses**?
Zhou GuoyingBefore 2015, both in China and around the world, oncolytic virus research was mainly limited to the preclinical stage or even basic research. It wasn't until Emergent's TWEC was approved by the FDA that this area began to gain traction. It is against this background thatI went back to China to foundYinuoweiMedicine, focusing on the research and development of oncolytic viruses.
In China, oncolytic virus research started relatively late. Although the ANCHORI was approved in 2005, its application is still limited. However, since 2015, this field has begun to show a vigorous development trend, providing an opportunity for the rise of companies such as Yinuowei. Our goal is to promote the sustainable development of China's oncolytic virus industry.
Oncolytic virusMechanismRelatively straightforward: By injecting the virus into the tumor, the tumor cells are lysed by using the replication ability of the engineered virus within the tumor cells. At the same time, it can also stimulate the immune response in the tumor microenvironment, forming a synergistic effect of oncolysis and immunity.
It is worth mentioning that the genome of oncolytic viruses has the ability to carry other genes into cells, which opens up endless possibilities for its application in cancer**. By carrying a variety of genes, oncolytic viruses are expected to achieve multiple ** roles and show great ** potential.
q：What are the unique research and progress of Yinuowei in this area?
Zhou GuoyingBased on the herpes virus, it is genetically engineered to express specific genes such as PD-1 antibody and interleukin 2, so as to enhance the ** effect of oncolytic virus. On the premise of ensuring the safety of the virus, we continue to improve its efficacy.
Since its establishment, Yinuowei has developed a number of products that have entered the clinical stage. Among them, the first intratumoral oncolytic virus product has entered phase II clinical trials in both China and the United States. Even more striking is thatWe have successfully developed the world's first intravenously administered oncolytic virus product, breaking the limitation that oncolytic viruses can only be injected directly into surface tumors in the past, and is expected to provide new options for more types of solid tumors.
However, intravenously administered oncolytic viruses during developmentThere are many challenges. Through our unique viral genome modification strategy, we have successfully solved key issues such as targeted viral delivery and control, so that the product can reduce the risk while maintaining efficient oncolytic activity.
At present, Innova's intravenous oncolytic virus products have completed phase I clinical trials in China and the United States, which have verified their safety. On this basis, we are actively exploring the application prospects of this product in a variety of solid tumors**. At the same time, the research and development of the other two products is also steadily advancing, striving to provide more and better solutions for patients around the world.
As one of the leading companies in the field of oncolytic viruses in China, Yinuowei has always adhered to the innovation-driven development strategy and is committed to bringing more efficient and safer solutions to patients around the world. Looking to the future,We believe that the field of oncolytic viruses will continue to show great potential for development and social value.
IIA new pattern of global innovative drugsChina's power is rising, and the gap is gradually narrowing
q：You have accumulated rich experience in the pharmaceutical industry in both the United States and China, what is the current development status of China's innovative drug industry from your dual perspective of China and the United States? What will the future hold?
Zhou GuoyingRegarding the comparison and development of China and the United States in the field of innovative drugs, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis from multiple dimensions. At the present stage, China's accumulation of basic scientific research is still relatively weak compared with that of the United States, and this is an objective fact. However,Since 2010, China's investment in basic sciences has continued to grow, and its support has also increased. These measures have laid a solid foundation for China to make more breakthroughs in scientific research in the future.
Although the accumulation of scientific research achievements and the R&D and marketing of innovative drugs are not achieved overnight, the development momentum of China's innovative drugs should not be underestimated. EspeciallyCellular** domains, e.g. CAR-TChina has independently developed and successfully approved two innovative products, marking that China is expected to enter a leading stage in this field.
q：What are your views and suggestions on the phenomenon of innovative drug companies gradually going global?
Zhou GuoyingChina is rapidly emerging in the broader CGT field and antibody drug fields, including the current high-profile ADC and other fields. In the past two years, BD directors of the world's top 15 pharmaceutical companies have visited China, which fully confirms the credibility and attractiveness of China's innovative drugs. At the same time,This also means that China's innovative drugs are expected to be purchased by more large multinational pharmaceutical companies, further promoting China's position in the global innovative drug field.
Of course, we must also be soberly aware that there is still a gap in China in the field of global innovative drugs. But as more and more scientists turn into entrepreneurs, the scientific ideas and innovative spirit they bring with them are changing that. They insist that every self-developed product must have solid scientific support, rather than blindly following it. This true spirit of innovation is gradually becoming a mainstream trend in China.
At present, China's innovative drug companies have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, showing strong vitality and vitality.
We have reason to believe that in the field of global innovative drugs, China will not only be able to keep pace with its international counterparts, but may even play a leading role in some aspects. As the gap between China and foreign countries in the field of innovative drugs gradually narrows, we are extremely excited and look forward to our segment reaching the international leading level and providing more and better choices for patients around the world.
InReview and approvalIn terms of "double reporting between China and the United States", it has become a common strategy. This is mainly due to the relatively inexperienced experience in the review of new drugs in China, while the US review agencies and personnel have more experience. Through the "China-US double report", we can use the results of the review in the United States to enhance China's confidence in CDE, so as to improve the efficiency of new drug approval in China and accelerate the process of new drug marketing.
In addition, in terms of clinical research, although there are still doubts about the standardization of clinical data in China internationally, we have not encountered similar problems in practice. Conversely, we found that the clinical research process in the United States was relatively slow and costlyChina, on the other hand, has significant advantages in terms of efficiency and cost. Therefore, companies need to manage their budgets and time resources wisely, and flexibly adjust the pace and strategy of clinical research in the United States and China to maximize R&D benefits.
Despite the many challenges and difficulties, we are confident in the future of China's innovative drug field. We firmly believe thatIn the next few years, China's biopharmaceutical companies will continue to show strong development potential and attractiveness, attracting more international partners to participate in the development and promotion of innovative drugs. This will bring more benefits to patients around the world, and will also promote China's position in the global field of innovative drugs.
IIIScientists vs entrepreneursThe collision and integration of thinking mode and management mode
q：As a scientist-turned-entrepreneur, how did you make the transition from research to business? What challenges and difficulties have you encountered along the way? And how do you overcome these obstacles?
Zhou GuoyingWhen it comes to the question of the probability of success in scientists' startups, I read an analysis that states that the success rate of scientists' startups is only about 1% to 3% worldwide. As an entrepreneur with a pure scientist background, I feel this very deeply. Previously, I often laughed at myself and said that my own business was "not the right roots", because I had never set foot in the industry and had no management experience in the United States. The process of moving from pure research to entrepreneurship did not have any buffers, but made me face various challenges immediately.
Looking back on my journey from scientific research to enterprise management, I feel a lot of emotion. In the field of scientific research, we pay more attention to divergent thinking, the ability to read literature, and the ability to track industry hotspotsBecause we need to constantly generate new ideas in order to get more support, expand the scale of the laboratory, and produce more research results. With the funds allowing, we can explore our areas of interest as much as we want. In the corporate world, however, the situation is very different.
From a business perspective, product selection is crucial. There is no doubt that the scientific foundation of the product must be solid. But scientists often have a lot of lingering ideas and want to try out all kinds of possibilities. However, in the enterprise, we have to make choices based on limited resources and manpower to determine which project is most worth moving forward. I am acutely aware that while it is not easy to set up a project, it is even more difficult to decide when to terminate a project during the course of a project, which is often contrary to the nature of scientists, because we all want our research projects to last. But in my opinion, being a business means constantly cutting projects, rather than working on them indefinitely.
The process of cutting out a project is very difficult for many people because our educational background and upbringing did not teach us how to face such a choice. However, when it comes to making a decision, it takes far more wisdom than it takes to start a project. At the same time, we also need to think about how to manage the team that has already invested a lot of time and effort into the project. When it comes time to terminate a project, it's a huge challenge to maintain the team's confidence.
In addition, we need to overcome the competitive mindset of scientists. Sometimes, we may think that an idea is brilliant and that it may become a world-leading innovation in the future, but when the idea is not feasible in reality, we need to learn to give up. At the same time, we also need to get rid of the self-satisfied mentality and not think that what we think is the best. In the field of scientific research, we may be pursuing new discoveries, but in business, we are more focused on how to translate science into actual products and services.
In the field of scientific research, we often proudly claim to be pioneers in a certain field, discovering new knowledge that has never been seen before. In the corporate world, however, the situation is quite different. Even if we have a very solid and scientific project, we may find that the actual results are not as expected in clinical trials, and we may feel shaken in our confidence and even doubt our ability to lead the company.
In the process of transforming from a scientist to an entrepreneur, the challenges of management methods cannot be ignored. Most scientists have probably never served as department heads, and we manage them more like a mentor manages a lab. In the corporate world, however, management is completely different. We need to learn how to manage our teams, develop our strategy and align our direction, as well as how to communicate with investors, how to attract and retain talent, and how to respond to changes in the market.
In this process, I deeply realized that doing business is more of a manager's job. This is not to say that scientific research is not important, but that in the enterprise, we need to pay more attention to team management and collaboration. At the same time, we also need to learn how to face our own shortcomings and challenges, and strive to improve our abilities and qualities.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that doing business needs to be forward-looking and predictable. We need to understand the development trend of the industry and the market demand, and formulate the company's development strategy based on this information. At the same time, we also need to make adjustments and transformations at the right time to adapt to the changes in the market and the development needs of the company. In this process, we need to remain calm and rational, not to be carried away by short-term interests, but to focus on the company's long-term development and future prospects. As entrepreneurs with a scientific background, we need to continuously learn and adapt to new environments and challenges in order to transform scientific innovation into market-competitive products and services.
FourthThe core of business managementPeople-oriented, culture as the soul
q：The MedTech sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, but the shortage of CEOs and top management talent is becoming more prominent. This has become one of the biggest challenges restricting the development of the industry. In your experience, what are some of the specific challenges you have faced when recruiting and selecting this type of high-quality talent? How do you address these challenges? In the meantime, what advice do you have for businesses that are looking for this type of talent?
Zhou GuoyingIn the complexity of the business world, the essence of enterprise management is often boiled down to the management of "people". The cultural soul of an enterprise is usually forged by the philosophy of its leaders, especially in the initial stage, and the personal imprint of the CEO is often the original gene of the corporate culture. Therefore, leaders must be prudent and wise in building their corporate culture and leadership team.
First, leaders should lead by example and be their authentic, transparent selves. Everyone has many facets, but in a corporate environment, leaders should aim to be the most authentic and constantly improve themselves, not hide their shortcomings. Only in this way can leaders earn the trust and respect of their employees, and in turn foster a positive and healthy corporate culture.
Secondly, the leader's values, personal charisma and original intention have a decisive impact on the direction of the enterprise. The future direction of an enterprise often depends on the vision and choices of leaders. Therefore, when leading an organization, leaders must clarify and stick to their own values and original intentions, and use them as a guide to plan the development path of the enterprise.
At the team management level, leaders should focus on shaping an efficient and stable middle and senior management team. Through an equal and open communication mechanism, the wisdom and creativity of team members are stimulated. At the same time, leaders should have the courage and courage to listen to and embrace different voices, and even make decisions that are contrary to their original intentions after careful consideration. This leadership style helps foster an open and inclusive atmosphere where team members can actively participate, express their opinions, and ultimately lead to more creative decision-making.
When it comes to talent mobility, leaders should be sober and impartial. For talents who do not meet the needs of enterprise development, even if they have experienced common hardships, they should be decisively adjusted. At the same time, the company should maintain a friendly attitude and maintain a good relationship with the departing employees. This talent management philosophy helps companies build a healthy talent ecosystem and attract more talented people to join.
In addition, leaders should also pay attention to maintaining the company's innovation vitality and the correct direction of R&D when leading the development of the enterprise. Even in the face of financial constraints, it is important to ensure that R&D continues to advance. Because only in this way can enterprises maintain a leading position in the fierce market competition and attract more talents and resources to gather.
Finally, leaders should focus on work-life balance for their employees. Excessive overtime is not synonymous with high efficiency, but can lead to burnout and creativity. Therefore, leaders should encourage employees to be productive in completing tasks during working hours while enjoying their personal life after hours. This management philosophy helps to create a positive and healthy work atmosphere and improve the job satisfaction and happiness of employees.
To sum up, as a leader of an enterprise, when managing a team and leading the development of an enterprise, you should pay attention to leading by example, clarifying values, shaping an effective team, maintaining a rational flow of talents, maintaining the company's innovation vitality, and paying attention to the work-life balance of employees. Only in this way can we create a sustainable and stable development environment for the enterprise, and lead the enterprise to ride the wind and waves in the commercial ocean, and achieve steady and far-reaching results.