Gene her power | Yu Shuangqing: From AIDS to genetic medicine, she wants to lower the price of genetic medicine in China

Wujia and its founder Dong Xiaoyan are also clinicians. For the treatment of gene disease , he can especially appreciate the urgent psychology of doctors and patients. In a very short period of time, Dong Xiaoyan helped him make a genetic drug that met the quality standards of clinical-grade drugs. After passing the hospital clinical trial record, the doctor injected the drug into the patient's body, and after 5 years of clinical observation, He found that the safety of the drug was very good, and a considerable number of patients saw great improvement in their vision. He also published clinical observations in well-known professional journals abroad, which caused a sensation in the gene therapy field at that time.

may be called by the meaning of this "change". More than 10 years ago, Yu Shuangqing was a customer of Wujiahe. More than 10 years later, she turned herself into the technical helm of this company. From an immunology researcher, she quickly transformed into a corporate executive; from researching AIDS to focusing on gene therapy for rare diseases, she is a person who attaches great importance to "meaning". In today's era of maximizing value everywhere, people with "meaning" are scarce. With a little expectation, I started a dialogue with Dr. Yu Shuangqing.

witnessed an era of "acceleration"

TOPHER: I heard that you were a customer of Wujiahe before, what made you decide to join this team?

Yu Shuangqing: Yes, my earliest collaboration with Wujiahe was during my graduate studies, when I was conducting research on AIDS vaccines. AIDS is a major infectious disease. Because there is no cure and no vaccine to prevent infection, the country has invested a lot in AIDS research, but the technology faces many challenges, and it is a virus that is difficult to handle. The development of the

vaccine is actually imitating the human body's process of dealing with viruses. If a virus infects the human body, no one can completely remove the virus in a natural state, then there is no learning object for vaccine researchers, which is an important reason why the AIDS vaccine is particularly difficult, so In the field of AIDS vaccine research, it is necessary to use particularly advanced technical means and various technical solutions. What we do is viral vector vaccines. Twenty years ago, when I started making viral vector vaccines, I didn’t know much about viral vectors. There were very few companies in China that could provide viral vector technical services. The only one I found was Benyuan Zhengyang, the founder of Wujiahe at that time. It is , the technical director of in Benyuan Zhengyang, who asked them to help with the design and preparation of various viral vectors, that is, the technical team that began to understand Wujiahe from that time. The

team has been exploring viral vectors since 1993. It has invented one of the three most commonly used vector production systems in the field of AAV vectors in the world, and formulated the quality standards for my country's first clinical-grade AAV vector. Therefore, he has won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the first prize of the Ministry of Health Science and Technology Progress Award.Benyuan Zhengyang was also established in the process of industrialization of these technological achievements. Due to the later business transformation, it no longer cultivated in the field of virus vectors. After the technical team came out of Benyuan Zhengyang, they established Wujiahe. After 15 years of

at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, I felt a bottleneck in my career, and I wanted to find a new field to try and start another new career.

At this time, Wujiahe has just reached a period of rapid development, and the same is true in the field of gene therapy. Wujiahe needs more people who understand viral vectors to join. In addition, I have known each other for many years, and everyone agrees with each other's technology and ideas. Finally, I decided to join the team and be responsible for technology research and development. Currently, I am the vice president of technology.

TOPHER: AIDS research is very concerned by the society, why did it enter the niche field of gene therapy?

Yu Shuangqing: In fact, we also had some small episodes in the AIDS vaccine. At that time, we made four viral vector vaccines, and two of them were successfully put into clinical practice. At that time, the collaborators in charge of vaccine preparation at that time were unable to help us with vaccine preparation due to various problems, which greatly affected the progress of the project. From this incident, I found that it is not the scientist who can work hard in the front, and more needs the participation and promotion of the industry. This further reflects the value and future prospects of Wujiahe in the industry chain. I discovered Wujiahe in this way, and then I joined it myself.

TOPHER: What kind of company is Wujiahe?

Yu Shuangqing: Wujiahe is a company that focuses on technological innovation and accumulation. The field of gene therapy is hot now, and many people are willing to enter. However, Wujiahe is the longest in this field in China, with nearly 30 years of accumulation.It has also entered a trough, but has been focusing on this area. During the low ebb of gene therapy, the team never left, using viral vectors to develop many scientific research tools, such as animal models. Previously, we used AAV vector to create an animal model of hepatitis B. The modeling method and cost have been greatly improved, and the application is very wide. At present, the global market share is more than 90%. It is not easy for a domestic start-up company to go global and be recognized by international pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, , Johnson & Johnson and . This also shows that we have invested a lot of energy in scientific research.

TOPHER: Why is the company named Wujiahe?

Yu Shuangqing: entrusts the company founder's development concept and vision to the company. Our company's logo is a "5" followed by a "+". In the 5-point scale, 5 is the highest score, but it is better than 5. Generally, teachers will write a "5+" on it. . The founders want our team to always strive for excellence. "Harmony" is a concept that is especially advocated in Chinese culture. Treat things with a peaceful heart, and emphasize not rushing for success. It takes many years to accumulate. We will encounter ups and downs and difficulties in the process, but we must use peace. Look at it with a mentality, gradually solve the problem, and one day will reach the state of excellence. In addition, the image of the logo is particularly like a running deer. In Chinese legends, it is also called the deer taking the elixir, and saves the dying and heals the wounded and . This also reminds us to never forget our original intention.

TOPHER: What problems does Wujiahe solve in the gene therapy industry chain?

Yu Shuangqing: gene therapy is mainly used in several aspects, one is the treatment of rare diseases, genetic diseases ; the other is tumors; and some are like vaccines.

Many genetic diseases and rare diseases are discovered by clinicians. They want to develop gene therapy drugs to treat them, but many doctors do not know how to design drugs and how to introduce genes into the body. At this time, they will come to find the five plus sum. Some genes of our natural virus are replaced, and useful therapeutic genes are inserted into it. It is similar to a Trojan horse. The outer shell is still like a virus.

First, we need to help doctors design drugs, including which tissues to express genes in the body. This is what we need to know. After understanding, it is necessary to tell them what kind of viral vector to use to match the genes. This is a front-end design. Once it is designed, a small amount of preparation is given to new drug developers or doctors, and they will test whether it is effective in animals. If it is effective, according to the drug declaration standards and the clinically usable drug quality standards, we will do a large number of preparations to help them declare a formal clinical trial to the drug regulatory department.

TOPHER: What stage is the gene therapy field at?

Yu Shuangqing: I caught up with a good time for , and the environment is very good. The accumulation of the team for so many years is also at this stage. This is a very good team, a group of people who steadily push the technology forward. I'm still quite lucky.

TOPHER: What do you think of the future development prospects of the gene therapy track?

Yu Shuangqing: The field of gene therapy in foreign countries has developed very fast, and now it has entered a hot period, while domestically it is relatively lagging behind for a few years. However, the field of gene therapy and cell therapy in China is the most likely to achieve overtaking. In the next 3-5 years, gene therapy in China will enter a period of rapid development.

First, gene therapy is mostly in the field of rare diseases. China has such a large population base . Any kind of rare disease is not uncommon in China, and we have a lot of clinical resources; second, in addition to Wujia and In addition, there are other technical teams and new drug R&D teams joining in, intensive cultivation, accumulation of experience in this field, and rapid capital entry, all of which will accelerate the rapid development of this field. Including some returning talents, they bring back advanced ideas and technologies from abroad, which will promote the development of this field.

"Making medicine is a race against time"

TOPHER: What is the biggest challenge in the gene therapy field in the future?

Yu Shuangqing: time and cost, all the high drug prices we now seem to have, will be solved with the advancement of technology.

TOPHER: How long does it take from finding Wujia and R&D to drug launch?

Yu Shuangqing: The ophthalmic gene therapy drug I mentioned earlier has been in clinical trials for 10 years. Everyone thinks 10 years is a long time, and it is not a long time in the field of drug research and development. Later, with the advancement of technology, the time will be shortened, which requires us to race against time, but we must also endure loneliness.

TOPHER: Can Wujiahe reduce the cost of gene drug therapy?

Yu Shuangqing: is right, this is our goal. Gene therapy drugs work well, but are quite expensive. Among the several drugs that have been on the market, the lowest priced eye drug is 415,000 US dollars for one eye and more than 800,000 US dollars for two eyes. This price is unaffordable for the Chinese people. If we want to lower the price, only we Chinese can make it ourselves, and then it is possible to lower the cost.

is a good example. If you pay attention to the field of tumor treatment, when the PD-1 monoclonal antibody was released by several foreign pharmaceutical companies, the treatment cost was quite high, and a course of treatment was about 300,000. However, after several Chinese pharmaceutical companies, Innovent and Hengrui, developed and marketed monoclonal antibody drugs, the price dropped a lot. The price in China is the lowest price in the world, and the cost of a course of treatment has dropped to less than 100,000.

From this aspect, whether it is gene therapy drugs or other drugs, only by strengthening our own research and development capabilities can we be able to reduce costs. Wujiahe can help reduce the cost of drugs in two ways. The first is to speed up the progress and reduce the overall cost of new drug research and development; the other is to reduce future production costs by upgrading the technology and improving the efficiency of the production process. We have made great progress on both fronts.

TOPHER: How does the five plus sum race against time? What auxiliary forces are there?

Yu Shuangqing: is the first, must have strong technical strength, including years of accumulation, continuous learning, and continuous innovation on the original basis, in order to be able to walk in the forefront of the industry; in addition, it also needs support from the upper and lower supply chains, for example, When we choose the supplier in , we must have our own requirements for reliable quality, including advanced technology. For example, Sartorius, from upstream to downstream, many of their products are used in Wujia and applications, and they also provide us with a lot of support for time-saving.

Now Sartorius has a high-throughput screening instrument that can quickly shape our process. Using this equipment, we can basically figure out the parameters within 3 weeks. During the

new crown, we received the task of developing the new crown vaccine , which requires a particularly high time. The day after we reached an agreement with the client, the Daxing epidemic broke out, and some of our employees were even quarantined.The time has been set according to the customer's requirements, and it is expected to be completed within 1 month, which was also in time for the Spring Festival. At this time, we must use advanced equipment with a relatively high degree of automation. We quickly found Sartorius and transferred their ambr products for emergency use. As a result, the task was completed before the Spring Festival. In 3 weeks, it was completed with almost no staff working overtime during the Spring Festival. This is a particularly good case.

Sartorius is not just a product company, but more of a technical solution for customers. In this regard, we both share the same philosophy. They are a company that pays special attention to technology development and innovation, and can provide us with very reliable products, cutting-edge technologies, including some advanced concepts. As the vice president of technology, I pay more attention to technical exchanges and discussions with them, how to jointly push the industry forward, including the pain points in this field that we cannot solve, and we need to use their strength to help us solve this. is a mutually reinforcing process.

"The leap" from research to management

TOPHER: Was it a big leap for your career from HIV research to business management?

Yu Shuangqing: has a big leap forward. Bringing a scientific research team in the institute, including some students, the resources are better in all aspects, and the risk tolerance will be stronger. But the probability of fault tolerance of the enterprise will be much smaller. Therefore, the work rhythm and pressure are much larger than that of the institute.

I am more scientific research at the virus institute. The characteristic of scientific research is that the contribution of individual ability in the team is very prominent. I remember an exchange with Professor Gallo from the United States, a well-known scientist in the field of AIDS. I told him that the overall strength of China's scientific research team may still have a certain gap with that of the United States. He said that scientific research pays more attention to personal strength, and many great scientists can fully rely on their personal strength to promote the development of a discipline.But when it comes to an enterprise, one thing needs to be done, the goal is clear, and time and resources are limited. In this case, more emphasis is placed on the cooperation of a team. It's not personal heroism , and even if anyone in the team has a shortcoming, he must help him make up for it, otherwise it will drag down the progress of the entire team.

has a relatively clear division of labor in the enterprise, and their respective work boundaries will be obvious. But in a scientific research institute, a project can be done by one person from beginning to end. At the beginning, I didn't understand a lot, and the concept needs to be changed. Doing research and development of an article may have good results. If you do it 100 times, you only need to succeed once or twice, and you can show beautiful pictures. But for pharmaceuticals, do 100 times to guarantee success 100 times. Even one mistake can have disastrous consequences. This is why enterprises should have a clear division of labor and minimize the probability of errors.

TOPHER: In the field of gene therapy, what are your criteria for selecting talents?

Yu Shuangqing: We pay more attention to the sense of responsibility and learning ability of talents. There are not many mature technologies in this field to learn from. We must have the spirit of exploration, and as drug research and development, we must ensure safety. If there is no high sense of responsibility It can't be done.

TOPHER: What style of leader are you in management?

Yu Shuangqing: I will ask for , and I will also give a lot of guidance. When I first started to lead students and teams, I realized that I had to make demands and express my opinions, otherwise I would not be able to lead a team forward. You can follow other people's advice and opinions, but in the end it's up to you to make your own decisions. Everyone in the career development process, especially in the rising period, will have some powerless times. At this time, we also need to use our own abilities or other resources to help employees grow.

TOPHER: The turnover rate of and of Generation Z is very high. How would you lead newcomers in the workplace?

Yu Shuangqing: The turnover rate of my team in is not high, which is good. From the founder to myself, many of them came out of the research institute, some of them are master's supervisors, doctoral supervisors . The turnover rate is related to the atmosphere and values ​​of the company. The young generation of

has no problems in all aspects of their learning ability, which often leads them to want to change jobs or not be motivated, because they cannot find the purpose and meaning of life. We want to help them find value. First, let them gradually have a sense of accomplishment in their work. Also, make them realize that what they are doing is meaningful and that what they get from the company is not just salary, but more personal growth.

TOPHER: What kind of person are you in your life?

Yu Shuangqing: is an optimistic and positive person, and there are very few negative times. Of course, there have been many difficulties, but who does not encounter some difficulties in life? Figured out a way to go.

tail

I asked Yu Shuangqing what her biggest wish is. She hopes to pass on her positive attitude and serious and responsible work attitude to the team, to more people around her, so that more people can find the meaning and meaning of life. Goals, and continue to invest, so that society will get better and better. Only in this way can technology be passed on, innovation can be better promoted, and China's gene therapy industry can develop rapidly.

Thanks for this column

Beijing Jinlan Gene Technology Co., Ltd.

Beijing Wujiahe Gene Technology Co., Ltd.

The field of gene therapy