Dr Chen Li honoured with the C.C. Tan Life Science Industrialization Award

Dr Chen Li, Founder and CEO of Hua Medicine, has been honoured with the prestigious ‘C.C. Tan Life Science Industrialization Award’ at the 17th C.C. Tan Life Science Award ceremony held at Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. This award, regarded as the ‘Chinese Nobel’ in life science, recognises Dr Chen’s exceptional contributions to advancing the industrialisation of life science in China.

Dr Chen has over 30 years of experience in drug research, development, and management. In 2004, he returned to Shanghai from the US to help establish Roche's first R&D centre in China, bringing international standards and management practices to the country’s biopharmaceutical industry. In 2010, he founded Hua Medicine in Shanghai with a commitment to lead China’s innovation in drug development, focusing on creating effective treatments for diabetes.

Under Dr Chen’s leadership, Hua Medicine achieved a milestone in September 2022 when Dorzagliatin (HuaTangNing®), the world’s first Glucose Kinesin Activator (GKA) and China’s first Class I National New Drug for diabetes, received approval from the State Food and Drug Administration. This pioneering drug, which restores glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetes patients, represents a significant breakthrough in treating chronic diseases in China.

Dr Chen’s dedication extends beyond drug development. He has actively supported China’s biopharmaceutical ecosystem, advocating for regulatory innovations and fostering industry collaborations. As a prolific inventor, Dr Chen holds 119 patents and has filed 270 patent applications, alongside publishing over 70 scientific papers in leading academic journals. Earlier this year, he was also recognised as Shanghai’s first ‘Outstanding Talent’.

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