About NiKang

Our Company name is derived from the combination of two words “Nike” and “Kang.” Nike is the Greek goddess of victory and can also mean fast, first, and strong. Kang is a Chinese word meaning good health. At NiKang Therapeutics we are Conquering Scientific Challenges to Combat Cancer.

We are not content with the status quo.

Our Mission is to discover and develop innovative medicines to help patients fight cancer and live better lives.

We are an unseen force in cancer research, relentlessly pushing boundaries and challenging conventional norms to transform the landscape of oncology.

Who We Are

NiKang Therapeutics was founded in 2017 by a biologist and a chemist with a shared vision of discovering and developing new medicines for patients with serious unmet medical needs.

In just a few years, NiKang has become a clinical stage biotech company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of small molecule medicines for difficult-to-drug oncology targets.

Our target selection is driven by deep insights into disease biology and molecular pathway. Our discovery approach is informed by target structure biology and capitalizes on structure-based drug design.

This strategy enables us to quickly and effectively discover and advance proprietary drug candidates with the most desirable pharmacological features into clinical studies.

Our Leadership Team

OFFICERS

Zhenhai Gao, Ph.D.

Co-Founder
President & CEO
Chairman

Dr. Gao has more than 20 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on cancer biology, cellular assay development, biomarker discovery and patient stratification. He has led oncology programs from target development to Phase I trials at many companies, including Incyte Corporation and Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology & Biological Physics from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Nankai University.

Yan Lou, Ph.D

Co-Founder
CSO

Dr. Lou has more than 15 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry and is a seasoned scientific leader with broad knowledge and deep insight into drug discovery. He has led and championed multiple research projects at Principia Biopharma, Nurix Inc., Novartis, and Roche, contributing to the inventions of first-in-class lead molecules and development candidates for diverse target classes and molecule pathways. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Dartmouth College and was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University.

Kelsey Chen, Ph.D, MBA

CFO & COO

Dr. Chen has over 20 years of investment experience in healthcare. She served as Managing Director at Cormorant Asset Management, responsible for investing in both private and public biotech companies. Prior to Cormorant, she was a Portfolio Manager of Putnam Global Health Care Fund and Healthcare Sector Leader at Putnam Investments. She received her MBA from The Wharton School and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Joanne Lager, MD

CMO

Dr. Lager has more than 20 years of experience in oncology drug development including treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies in all phases of development. She led strategy and operations for two mid-stage clinical programs and an emerging immuno-oncology pipeline as Chief Medical Officer at iTeos Therapeutics. As the Head of Development for Oncology at Sanofi Genzyme, Dr. Lager oversaw the development and registration of Libtayo (anti-PD1) and Sarclisa (anti-CD38). At GlaxoSmithKline, she contributed to the development and registration of Votrientin renal cell cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. Dr. Lager earned her medical degree from Duke University, her fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Duke University, and completed a joint fellowship in Oncology Drug Development between Duke University and GlaxoSmithKline.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Wei Fu

Director

Mr. Fu is the CEO of CBC Group and has over 18 years of private equity experience. He oversees the firm’s strategy, investments, talent development, and maintains partnerships with global investors. He led several of the firm’s investments and was instrumental in incubating biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Before founding CBC Group in 2014, he managed investments of over $120M at Far East Horizon and over $200M at Themes Investment. He received his BS in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Business Administration from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Ting Jia, Ph.D

Director 

Dr. Jia is the Founder of Octagon Capital and has served as the firm’s Chief Investment Officer since 2019. Prior to founding Octagon Capital, Dr. Jia served as Managing Director at Hillhouse Capital Management. Before Hillhouse Capital Management, Dr. Jia was an investment analyst at BVF Partners and a management consultant at McKinsey’s New York office. Dr. Jia started his career as a research fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He received his Ph.D. in Immunology from Cornell University Weill Medical College and a B.S. with first honor in Biological Sciences from Sun Yat-sen University.

Chris Liu

Director

Chris has 10+ years of biotech investment and industry combined experience. He received a PhD in Biochemistry from SUNY Stony Brook and a BS in Chemistry from Fudan University. He also received his MBA in Finance and Management from NYU Stern School of Business.

Bing Yao, PhD

Director

Dr. Yao is CEO and Chairman of ArriVent Biopharma and has over 25 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industry. He co-founded Viela Bio in 2018, serving as Chairman and CEO, which was acquired by Horizon Therapeutics for $3 billion in 2021. Prior to Viela, he held leadership positions at MedImmune and AstraZeneca, playing key roles in the development of multiple novel biologics. He has authored 50+ publications and holds 20+ patents and patent applications.

Anne Borgman, MD

Independent Director

Dr. Borgman is a highly accomplished CMO, business executive, scientific advisor, and board director with over 20 years of experience in clinical development and oncology-hematology drug approvals. She has led teams to successful approvals of several oncology assets, including recombinant asparaginase and cabozantinib. Dr. Borgman has a broad network and depth of regulatory interactions, enabling her to quickly synthesize the competitive landscape and collaborate with key stakeholders to forge a strategic path forward in a complex landscape. She has a strong core competency in hematology-oncology drug development and has led companies through growth phases at every stage in her career.

Denny Chu

Director

Mr. Chu has 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry and broad experience in business and corporate development, including investments, licensing, and M&A. Prior to joining CBC Group, he was Senior Director of Corporate and Business Development at Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, leading business development efforts for the company. Before Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, he worked on Wall Street as an investment banker focused on the healthcare industry at JMP Securities, Canaccord Genuity and Houlihan Lokey. Mr. Chu received his Bachelor’s Degree in neurophysiology and an MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Zhenhai Gao, Ph.D.

Co-Founder
President & CEO
Chairman

Dr. Gao has more than 20 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on cancer biology, cellular assay development, biomarker discovery and patient stratification. He has led oncology programs from target development to Phase I trials at many companies, including Incyte Corporation and Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology & Biological Physics from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Nankai University.

Our Vision

Through groundbreaking discoveries and unyielding determination, we strive to conquer cancer. Our vision is to bring transformative medicines to patients with serious unmet needs so that they may beat cancer and live longer, healthier lives.