On May 21, 2024, Dr. Jianhua Cai, Senior Vice President of Viva Biotech Shanghai, was invited to participate in the “Introduction to Biopharmaceutical Industry” course and delivered a presentation titled “Frontier Technologies in Innovative Drug Discovery.” The lecture was chaired by Professor Dalei Wu from the Institute of Microbial Technology, and sparked active discussions among attending faculty and students.

Dr. Cai's lecture began with an overview of the drug discovery process, followed by an in-depth analysis of various modern drug modalities, including: Small molecule drugs, macromolecular drugs, Conjugated drugs, RNA drugs, Cell therapies、Gene therapies.in accordance with their cutting-edge technology development and challenges. For each modality, Dr. Cai discussed cutting-edge technological advancements and the challenges they face. The presentation concluded with a Q&A session, where Dr. Cai provided detailed answers to questions from the audience, fostering academic exchange and achieving the course's objectives.

About Dr. Jianhua Cai:
Dr. Cai holds a Ph.D. from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he specialized in structural biology and structure-based drug design. He completed postdoctoral research at Fudan University and earned an international MBA from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and Webster University.

A pioneer in China's structural biology field, Dr. Cai co-founded the country's first structural biology service platform. Currently, he serves as Senior Vice President of Viva Biotech Shanghai, a member of the Strategic Committee, and a business partner at Viva Biotech. He plays a key role in evaluating investment and M&A projects, including a groundbreaking RNA delivery drug project that was acquired by a multinational pharmaceutical company for $1 billion due to its innovative technology and market potential.

Photo/Text: Huiling Teng

Editor: Na Li