Harbour BioMed Appoints Yajie Li as Chief Medical Officer to Advance Antibody Therapeutics Pipeline
Key Insights
Harbour BioMed (search) has appointed Yajie Li (search) as Chief Medical Officer to lead clinical development and regulatory strategy for the company's immunology and oncology programs.
Li brings over a decade of pharmaceutical experience from multinational corporations including Merck (search) and Johnson & Johnson, plus nine years at China's National Medical Products Administration.
The appointment strengthens Harbour BioMed (search)'s capabilities as it advances its pipeline using proprietary antibody technologies including Harbour Mice (search), HBICE (search), and HBICA (search) platforms.
Harbour BioMed (search), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on novel antibody therapeutics, has appointed Yajie Li (search) as Chief Medical Officer to strengthen its clinical development capabilities as the company advances its immunology and oncology pipeline. Ms. Li will be based in Shanghai and report directly to Dr. Jingsong Wang (search), Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Leadership Role and Responsibilities
In her new position, Ms. Li will lead clinical development, regulatory strategy, and medical affairs for Harbour BioMed (search)'s clinical-stage programs. She will also play a key role in evaluating early-stage assets based on unmet medical needs, clinical value, and scientific differentiation. Her expertise will be pivotal as the company advances its innovative antibody therapeutic programs.
Extensive Industry Experience
Ms. Li brings over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with leadership roles in clinical development and regulatory affairs at major multinational corporations including Merck (search), Johnson & Johnson, and Parexel. She has also held influential positions at Chinese biopharmaceutical companies including GenSci (search), XuanZhu Biopharm (search), and Innovent (search).
Prior to her industry career, Ms. Li served for nine years as a Senior Medical Officer at the National Medical Products Administration of China (search) (NMPA)/Center for Drug Evaluation (search) (CDE), where she contributed to regulatory assessments across a broad range of therapeutic areas. She holds a master's degree in Rheumatology and Immunology from Peking Union Medical College (search).
Executive Commentary
Dr. Jingsong Wang (search) expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, stating: "We are very pleased to welcome Yajie Li (search) to our executive team. Her deep expertise in clinical development and regulatory science will further strengthen our capabilities as we advance our pipeline and grow into a therapeutically focused biopharma company. We look forward to her leadership in delivering transformative medicines to patients around the world."
Ms. Li commented on her new role: "It is a great honor to join Harbour BioMed (search) as Chief Medical Officer at this pivotal stage of its growth. The company's cutting-edge antibody technology platform and global R&D strategy is well positioned to deliver innovative therapies in areas of high unmet need. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate clinical development, enhance regulatory alignment, and bring meaningful treatments to patients worldwide."
Proprietary Technology Platform
Harbour BioMed (search)'s proprietary antibody technology platform, Harbour Mice (search)®, generates fully human monoclonal antibodies (search) in both the conventional two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format and the heavy chain-only (HCAb) format. Building upon HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE (search)®) bispecific antibody (search) technology enables tumor-killing effects that traditional combination therapies cannot achieve.
Additionally, the HCAb-based bispecific immune cell antagonist (HBICA (search)™) technology empowers the development of innovative biologics for immunological and inflammatory diseases. By integrating Harbour Mice (search)®, HBICE (search)®, and HBICA™ with a single B-cell cloning platform, Harbour BioMed (search) has built a highly efficient and distinctive antibody discovery engine for developing next-generation therapeutic antibodies.
Company Strategy
Harbour BioMed (search) (HKEX: 02142) is building a robust and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capabilities, strategic global collaborations in co-discovery and co-development, and selective acquisitions. The company is committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics specifically in immunology and oncology therapeutic areas.