October 15, 2023
CBA-GP Annual 1 st Conference
The Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association, USA – Greater Philadelphia (CBA-GP), successfully convened its inaugural annual meeting on October 15, 2023, in the outskirts of Philadelphia. The event drew an impressive gathering of nearly 400 attendees, comprising esteemed professors, enterprising individuals, and leading figures from the biopharmaceutical industry.
This milestone marked the first annual gathering of the association, centered around the theme of “Biopharmaceutical Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” The event was structured into six distinct segments: Keynote Session, Scientific Frontier and Drug Development, Buffet Lunch / Small Group Discussion, Poster Session of Scientific Frontier and Drug Development, Biotech Startup Pitch Competition, Dialogue to Entrepreneurs; all focusing on pivotal aspects within the realm of Biopharmaceutical area. These segments provided comprehensive insights and opportunities for interaction.
The conference commenced with an opening address by Dr. Ling Yang, the founding president of CBA-GP. Dr. Yang introduced the association’s activities and its current status since its inception, while also expressing anticipation of future challenges and opportunities. As an extension of CBA in the Greater Philadelphia area, CBA-GP has organized over ten online and offline events since its establishment earlier in the year, spanning diverse subjects such as career development, small business funding applications, and biotechnology entrepreneurship. The core team of CBA-GP comprises numerous academics and industry executives, sharing a common commitment to fostering biotechnological innovation, product incubation, commercial transformation, and strengthening connections between academia and industry. CBA-GP currently boasts nearly 3,000 members and has established strategic partnerships with numerous biotechnology companies and universities.
Keynote Speakers
The conference was privileged to host keynote speakers Professor Thomas Shenk, an academician of the Third Academy of Princeton University, and Michele Marcolongo, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Dean of the School of Engineering at Villanova University. As well as Dr. Nick Meanwell from Blumberg Institute, Dr. Li Peng from Palleon Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Y. Eugene Chen from University of Michigan, Dr. Xiaolu Yang from University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Daniel Krosky from Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Linda K. Zane from NIH/NCI for the scientific frontier and drug development talks.
Entrepreneurs Talk
Dr. Amy (GuoJuan) Liao from Couragene, Dr. Dan Zhang Hillgene/ ClinChoice, Dr. Bing Yao from ArriVent Biopharma, Dr. Dajun Yang from Ascentage Pharma for the dialogue as entrepreneurs.
Awards Ceremony
The event concluded with an awards ceremony where Dr. Song Wu, the former president of the CBA headquarters, Dr. You Li, the president-elect, and the sponsors of the annual meeting announced and presented certificates and accolades to poster presenters and participants of the entrepreneurship competitions. Prizes were also distributed to fortunate audience members. In addition, President Ling Yang officially introduced Dr. Qing Liang as the president-elect of CBA-GP.
President Ling Yang extended heartfelt gratitude to all participants, with special recognition for the distinguished guests, speakers, sponsors, as well as the dedicated staff and volunteers from both the CBA headquarters and CBA-GP.
During the dinner, Counselor Guolin Zhou from the Consulate General in New York commended CBA for its significant contributions to China-US pharmaceutical field exchanges. He expressed satisfaction with the pivotal role played by CBA-GP in fostering academic exchanges and facilitating entrepreneurial planning.
Editor: Long Geng