On May 29th, the fifth UnionClin Salon closed-door event, co-hosted by the Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai UnionClin Co., Ltd (UnionClin), successfully concluded. This salon brought together influential clinical researchers, pharmaceutical company leaders, industry strategy experts, and investors, focusing on the pain points of new neoplasm drug research and development (R&D). Attendees directly confronted core industry contradictions and engaged in intense intellectual discussions. 

“To enable scientists and researchers to reach greater heights in R&D, we are willing to carry oxygen tanks at all times.” Mr. Wang Junlin's opening remarks demonstrated UnionClin's firm determination and supportive value as a professional Contract Research Organization (CRO). Leveraging the experience accumulated from over 200 new drug clinical research projects, UnionClin hopes to establish a platform for in-depth dialogue between industry, academia, and research through the UnionClin Salon series, becoming a “supply station for industry climbers” and providing full-cycle solutions for innovative drug R&D. 

Mr. Wang Junlin, Founder/Chairman of the Shanghai UnionClin Co., Ltd

“Current new neoplasm drug R&D needs to break down barriers—companies, scientists, CRO partners, and clinical experts must unite as one. ”Professor Wang Hongxia pointed directly to the core issue, “This is also the original intention behind establishing the UnionClin Salon.” As one of the earliest clinical teams in China to develop new neoplasm drugs, Professor Wang Hongxia highlighted the resource advantages of the Department of Medical Oncology at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center: “8 major subspecialties+cell and gene therapy platform+humanized models+a vast repository of specimens from late-stage patients”, covering everything from rare neoplasms to mainstream cancer types, with dedicated translational teams and research institutes, capable of providing full-chain support from model establishment and specimen testing to clinical protocol design. 

Professor Wang Hongxia, Director of the Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center

“We must work diligently and successfully develop drugs in China. ” Professor Hu Xichun shared his insights and experiences in new drug R&D, and particularly emphasized the importance of Phase I clinical trials, stressing the need to carefully select appropriate doses and subjects, and to enhance services and follow-up. Additionally, Professor Hu shared recent good news—a drug that Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center had been researching for 8 years finally received its long-term production certificate and was approved for marketing on the day of the conference. Using this project as an example, Professor Hu described how Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, through long-term establishment of standardized cooperation mechanisms and platform construction, strictly adheres to quality baselines, attracts pharmaceutical companies for deep collaboration, and accelerates the creation of lifelines for Chinese patients. Finally, Professor Hu made predictions and outlooks on future drug R&D and market changes. 

Professor Hu Xichun, Chief Expert of the Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center

Based on research data from the Malignant Melanoma Center at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Professor Chen Yong revealed that differences in subtype distribution between Chinese and Western patients lead to significant disparities in immunotherapy efficacy. The team proposed three breakthrough paths through clinical translational research: Repurposing old drugs: A PD-1 combined with Temozolomide regimen significantly increased the objective response rate (ORR) in acral melanoma patients to 37.1%, with a neoadjuvant therapy pathological partial response (pPR) rate of 45%; Breakthrough in drug resistance mechanisms: Single-cell sequencing revealed that a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) barrier causes immune resistance, leading to the construction of a multi-cell type predictive model; Original target development: The MITF inhibitor TT-012 sensitizes immunotherapy and reverses MAPKi drug resistance by activating the NF-κB pathway. 

Professor Chen Yong

Deputy Director of the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Director of the Malignant Melanoma Diagnosis and Treatment Center

Keynote Presentation: Exploring First-Line Treatments for Melanoma: Repurposing Old Drugs and Overcoming Bottlenecks

Dr. Wang Xingli analyzed innovative drug trends and crises from a global perspective: Antibody drugs are experiencing explosive growth, while solid neoplasm cell therapy faces a slowdown. As an innovation-driven global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry group, Fosun Pharma has always focused on unmet clinical needs. On the very day of the conference, two Class 1 new drugs independently developed by Fosun Pharma were approved for marketing. This is not only a significant achievement of the company's commitment to innovation and breakthroughs but also a key milestone in its deep cultivation of the neoplasm and rare disease fields. 

Meanwhile, he believes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary tool in pharmaceutical R&D. Its core value lies in precise patient selection for clinical trials, a value that far exceeds the scope of drug design. Therefore, developing AI models must directly address R&D pain points, and cross-functional, cross-industry, cross-disciplinary, and cross-entity collaboration between industry, academia, and research is crucial. 

China's innovative drug manufacturing processes and safety standards are internationally leading, allowing for in-depth optimization of original target drugs from Europe and America. However, there is currently a severe imbalance in profit distribution—multinational pharmaceutical companies acquire rights for hundreds of millions of yuan, yet their annual revenues reach tens of billions. Therefore, Chinese pharmaceutical companies must restructure their internationalization path: by replacing passive licensing with a globalization strategy (feasibility evidenced by Fosun Pharma's overseas revenue accounting for nearly 30% in 2024) to secure long-term value distribution rights. 

Dr. Wang Xingli

Executive President of Fosun Pharma Group, Co-CEO of Fosun Pharma Innovative Medicines Business Unit, CEO of Global R&D Center

Keynote Presentation: Trends in Innovative Drug Development

The round-table discussion, led by moderator Professor Cao Jin, focused on core industry challenges, with intense debate and consensus building throughout the session. 

• Xu Zengjun, Founder of Axter Therapeutics, former Senior Reviewer at FDA/CDER: In recent years, China has made continuous breakthroughs in cell and gene therapy (CGT) new drug research. The profound empowerment by investigator-initiated trials (IITs) has been instrumental. IITs are also expected to become a core engine for future new technology therapies (e.g., in vivo CAR-T, etc.) to achieve leapfrog development. We look forward to in-depth cooperation with Director Wang Hongxia and Professor Hu Xichun in the field of new drug development for future new technology therapies, to jointly discuss development paths. At the same time, we also look forward to jointly conducting research on new indication expansion in our traditional drug development. Clinical research must adhere to the principles of scientific rigor and ethical completeness, always prioritizing patient safety. Comprehensive consideration of safety and efficacy remains the unshakable cornerstone of drug review by regulatory agencies. 
• Ding Jiping, Managing Partner of Caleb Capital: Capital mismatch triggers competitive landscapes. In the current capital winter, financing difficulties directly hinder pipeline advancement; while the cell therapy field, constrained by severe target homogenization and high commercialization costs, further weakens capital investment willingness, leading to project stagnation. 
• Zhao Zijian, Founder of Sinogen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.: We focus on pan-neoplasm drug R&D, breaking through traditional neoplasm type boundaries; however, for both regulatory approval departments and investment institutions, integrating panoramic data remains a key initiative. We urgently need to learn from clinical experts and will fully collaborate to advance this work. 

• Wang Wei, General Manager of Xinpu BioTechnology Co. Ltd.: I find IITs very interesting. In collaborating with different Principal Investigators (PIs), each department has a different style. Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center is also a center we have been following and look forward to collaborating with. 
• Liu Huining, Founder of Kousai: We are dedicated to developing a special immune cell unblocking vaccine. It is particularly effective against hematological neoplasms and solid neoplasms, and its safety profile is also very high. Currently, we have several pipelines in progress, and the preliminary basic validation target signals are very strong. Recently, we have also been collaborating with Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center to advance research on pancreatic carcinoma. 
• Chen Qin, Co-founder of Novostar Pharma: Our company primarily focuses on small molecule innovative anti-neoplasm drugs. Later, we hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with the strong clinical team at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center to advance trials. 
• Cao Jun, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center: There are still many unmet clinical needs in the field of common neoplasm types. The core advantage of clinicians lies in their ability to accurately identify innovative breakthrough points in these neoplasm sub-tracks. If only 10% of innovative drugs enter clinical trials in the future, we expect the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center platform, with its full-chain R&D resources, to undertake 90% of China's new drug R&D mission. 

• Zhang Xiaoqing, CMO of Hansoh Pharma: In the current fierce global competition, if an innovative drug project takes three to six months from hospital submission to initiation, it may miss the optimal window for global simultaneous development. 

• Wang Junlin, Founder/Chairman of Shanghai UnionClin Co., Ltd: We have extensive collaborations with Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and communication is extremely smooth. When sponsors need to accelerate the pace, the PIs at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center always proactively advance all project processes. 
• Xu Yibing, Co-founder of NKC Biotech: We are currently conducting research on multiple bone marrow neoplasms and myelopathy variables. After hearing everyone's sharing, we are inclined to conduct more broad-spectrum research. 
• Yu Bo, Attending Physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center: The core advantage of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center lies in the multi-dimensional diagnostic and treatment data accumulated from ultra-large clinical cohorts. Through an AI-driven structured electronic health record (EHR) system, intelligent screening and in-depth mining of patient information can be achieved, providing strong support for subsequent precision treatment and translational research. Furthermore, based on real clinical needs, the research team is building an efficient drug-patient matching mechanism to precisely match drug R&D. 

• Liu Song, CEO of SynRx Therapeutics: After years of development, we have entered a higher research stage. This stage requires deep integration of industry and academia. Clinical execution is certainly key, but many innovative projects are far from simple or weak topics—In the clinical development phase, the most valuable leverage points for the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center platform lie in the two core areas of translational medicine and biomarkers. 

• Shi Yuanyuan, Physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center: As a member of Director Wang Hongxia's translational research team, we have engaged in discussions on new drug translational research with multiple pharmaceutical companies. Our focus is on elucidating drug resistance mechanisms and developing combination therapy strategies, thereby accelerating substantial breakthroughs in the clinical trial process. 
• Yang Yang, CEO of Glycanlink: The current track for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) has become a red ocean. Subsequently, in fields like peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) or other X-drug conjugates (XDCs), which will be more resilient and promising? 
• Cao Jin, Senior Consultant in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Entrepreneurial Mentor: Overseas business development (BD) will continue to grow in volume; The antibody drug field still holds innovative potential (bispecific/multispecific antibodies and differentiated targets awaiting breakthroughs); Small nucleic acid drugs have enormous potential, with applications in cardiovascular and multiple other fields; Radiopharmaceuticals have excellent growth space and development speed in China; The integrated diagnosis and treatment model, by integrating regulatory, clinical, and engineering resources, is the next growth point; China's CGT industry has already reached the global forefront. 

• Wu Xianghua, Chief Physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center: We are more concerned with feasible paths for its expansion in China—The core question is: How can we achieve early, deep involvement and systematically advance innovative achievements? It is recommended to focus on the clinical trial design of research projects, and achieve breakthroughs through collaborative co-creation mechanisms from the source. 

This in-depth dialogue focusing on the pain points of new neoplasm drug R&D is transforming into an action starting point for industry breakthroughs, and is gradually moving from “dialogue” to “co-governance”—as Professor Wang Hongxia summarized: “True breakthroughs begin with the precise handshake between needs and resources.”

About the UnionClin Salon Series

The UnionClin Salon is an academic exchange event co-hosted by Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and UnionClin. It regularly invites scientists, clinical experts, and founders and clinical heads of biopharmaceutical companies to engage in in-depth discussions on solving the difficulties and challenges in anti-neoplasm new drug R&D, promoting win-win cooperation among all parties. 

Professor Cao Jin

Senior Consultant in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Entrepreneurial Mentor