BLPN China Access Panel Highlights Cross-Border Life Science Collaboration During BIO Week 2026

Jul 3
5 min read

San Diego, California — June 23, 2026 — During BIO Week 2026, the BLPN China Access Panel, organized in collaboration with SaniMed Science Group, brought together senior life science executives, investors, regulatory experts, and cross-border business development leaders for a timely discussion on how global biopharma innovation can better connect with China’s rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem.

Held on the Main Forum Global Stage at UC San Diego Park & Market Building, the one-hour panel focused on practical pathways for cross-border collaboration, including license-in to China, China license-out, R&D acceleration, clinical development, CRO/CDMO partnerships, regulatory readiness, manufacturing, commercialization, and strategic investment.

The panel was moderated by Jim Wu, Founder & CEO of SaniMed Science Group and a Lifetime Founding Member of BLPN. Dr. Wu framed the discussion around one central question: how can global life science innovators, investors, and ecosystem partners build more effective, trusted, and scalable bridges between the United States, China, and the broader global market?

A Timely Conversation on China Access and Global Biopharma Collaboration

As life science companies continue to face rising development costs, longer funding cycles, and increasingly complex global regulatory pathways, cross-border collaboration has become more than a market expansion strategy. It is increasingly viewed as a core component of innovation acceleration.

The BLPN China Access Panel addressed four major themes: global assets entering China, China as an R&D and clinical accelerator, China-originated innovation going global, and manufacturing/CRO/CDMO/commercialization partnerships. These themes reflected the growing need for companies to think beyond traditional licensing and to consider more integrated models such as China rights, Greater China rights, China NewCo structures, co-development, strategic investment, clinical collaboration, and commercialization partnerships.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Wu emphasized that China access is no longer a single transaction or a simple regional licensing discussion. Instead, it now involves a broader ecosystem of capital, clinical development, manufacturing capabilities, regulatory planning, commercial strategy, and long-term partnership design.

Distinguished Panelists Bring Deep Industry Experience

The panel featured four senior industry leaders representing biologics development, clinical research, advanced therapy manufacturing, and regulatory strategy.

Jimmy Wei, CEO of Chime Biologics, brought extensive experience in global biopharma business development, investment, and company building. Dr. Wei has held senior roles across biotech incubation, venture investment, and multinational partnership development, including experience with companies such as Zai Lab, I-Mab, XW Labs, CMAB, and JHL Biotech. His perspective helped frame how China’s biologics and manufacturing capabilities can support global innovators seeking efficient development and commercialization pathways.

Dan Zhang, CSO of Peking Union Innovation Hub, contributed a physician-scientist and clinical development perspective. With deep experience across academic medicine, global clinical research, CRO operations, biotech entrepreneurship, and regulatory strategy, Dr. Zhang highlighted the importance of clinical readiness, translational medicine, and international trial design in cross-border collaboration.

Shelley Wu, Head of U.S. Business Development at Porton Advanced, discussed the role of advanced therapy CRO/CDMO services in supporting innovative drug development. Porton Advanced provides integrated development and manufacturing services across modalities including plasmid DNA, viral vectors, mRNA/LNP, and cell therapies. Her remarks underscored the importance of early CMC planning, clinical manufacturing, technology transfer, and global program support.

Audrey Jia, Chief Operation Officer of Wonderfulland LLC, brought a strong regulatory perspective based on more than two decades of experience in biologic drug development, CMC regulatory review, and GMP inspections. A former senior CMC reviewer at the U.S. FDA, Dr. Jia discussed the importance of regulatory quality, FDA readiness, submission planning, GMP inspection preparation, and disciplined development strategy for companies seeking global success.

Together, the panelists represented a broad view of the life science value chain: investment, clinical development, regulatory strategy, biologics manufacturing, advanced therapies, CRO/CDMO execution, and commercialization.

From License-In to China NewCo: New Models for Market Entry

One of the panel’s key discussion areas was how global life science assets can enter China more effectively. Traditional licensing remains important, but panelists also discussed broader models including China rights, Greater China rights, China NewCo structures, strategic investment, regional co-development, and commercialization partnerships.

For emerging biotech and medtech companies, China may offer more than a future commercial market. It can also provide clinical development support, patient access, local regulatory strategy, manufacturing scale, and strategic capital. However, the panel emphasized that success requires careful partner selection, clear intellectual property protection, realistic regulatory planning, and aligned long-term incentives.

The discussion also recognized that many global startups are capital constrained and must prioritize development milestones carefully. A well-structured China collaboration can potentially help companies extend runway, accelerate clinical validation, access specialized capabilities, and create additional strategic value.

China as an R&D and Clinical Accelerator

The second major theme focused on China’s role as an R&D and clinical development accelerator. The discussion covered preclinical development, investigator-initiated trials, clinical trials, CRO/CDMO services, and translational research collaboration.

Panelists noted that China’s clinical and operational infrastructure has become increasingly sophisticated, particularly in areas such as oncology, biologics, cell and gene therapy, diagnostics, and digital health. For global innovators, China can offer access to experienced investigators, large patient populations, specialized hospitals, efficient clinical operations, and strong manufacturing partners.

At the same time, panelists cautioned that companies should not view China merely as a shortcut. Clinical and regulatory strategy must be designed carefully from the beginning, especially when companies aim to support FDA, EMA, NMPA, or multi-regional regulatory pathways. Data quality, trial design, CMC consistency, and regulatory communication remain critical.

China Innovation Going Global

The panel also explored the opposite direction: Chinese innovation going global. In recent years, China-originated biotech assets, platforms, and medical technologies have gained increasing attention from global pharmaceutical companies, investors, and strategic partners.

The discussion emphasized that Chinese companies seeking global expansion must prepare early for FDA and EMA expectations, global clinical development standards, intellectual property strategy, CMC documentation, international business development, and cross-cultural negotiation. License-out opportunities are expanding, but global success requires more than a strong asset. It requires a credible international development plan, high-quality data package, experienced advisors, and the right strategic partners.

This theme was especially relevant for companies pursuing global licensing, U.S. clinical entry, international co-development, or future capital market opportunities.

Manufacturing, CRO/CDMO, and Commercialization Partnerships

Manufacturing and execution capabilities were another important part of the conversation. As more life science companies develop complex biologics, cell therapies, gene therapies, mRNA products, and advanced diagnostics, early planning around CMC, GMP manufacturing, technology transfer, and clinical supply has become essential.

The panel discussed how CRO/CDMO partners can support companies from early development through clinical manufacturing and commercialization readiness. For global companies considering China-related collaboration, choosing the right development and manufacturing partner may directly affect regulatory success, cost structure, development speed, and long-term scalability.

Commercialization partnerships were also highlighted. Entering China requires more than approval. It requires a clear understanding of market access, distribution, hospital systems, physician adoption, reimbursement dynamics, and local commercial execution.

Building a Trusted Cross-Border Innovation Bridge

A recurring theme throughout the session was trust. Cross-border life science collaboration involves scientific, financial, regulatory, operational, and cultural complexity. The most successful partnerships are those that combine strategic alignment with practical execution.

Through SaniMed Science Group and BioTech Shanghai, Dr. Wu has focused on connecting U.S. and Asian founders, executives, investors, CRO/CDMO partners, and commercial resources. The panel reflected SaniMed’s broader mission of building a trusted cross-border innovation bridge for global healthcare opportunities.

The BLPN China Access Panel also demonstrated the value of ecosystem-based collaboration. By bringing together founders, investors, operators, clinicians, regulatory experts, and manufacturing partners, BLPN and SaniMed created a platform for more practical dialogue around global biopharma development.

Looking Ahead

As global life science companies continue to seek capital-efficient development pathways, China-related collaboration will remain an important part of the global innovation conversation. However, the next phase of China access will likely be more sophisticated than the past. It will require stronger regulatory planning, better partner selection, deeper scientific diligence, clearer investment structures, and more disciplined commercialization strategy.

The BLPN China Access Panel offered a timely and practical discussion for companies, investors, and ecosystem partners seeking to understand how cross-border collaboration can support life science innovation at scale.

From license-in to China and China license-out, to R&D acceleration, clinical collaboration, CRO/CDMO partnerships, regulatory readiness, and global commercialization, the panel highlighted one clear message: the future of biopharma innovation will increasingly depend on trusted, well-structured, and globally connected partnerships.