Discovered in China

Jingwu Zang looks to a future in which the phrase “discovered in China” is heard as often as “made in China” is heard today. As the head of GlaxoSmithKline R&D China, he is moving quickly to create a vital R&D presence for GSK in the world’s most populous country.

Based in Shanghai, R&D China will focus on research into neurodegeneration in order to create new medicines for such severe disorders as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The expansion in China is consistent with the commitment of GSK R&D to ally itself with talented researchers wherever in the world they work. What counts is to foment the contest of ideas needed to discover and develop new medicines.

Jingwu Zang is leading GSK's new R&D enterprise in Shanghai.

Zang, a neurologist and researcher in immunological and neurodegenerative disorders, joined GSK in June. He brings to his new position an understanding of the biomedical research community in China, international experience as a scientist and clinician, and a record of achievement in building a research enterprise.

Until his appointment at GSK, he served most recently as the founding director and a professor at the Institute of Health Sciences in Shanghai. Under his direction, the Institute grew to comprise a staff of 150 and a cadre of graduate students numbering about 250. He also served as research director of the Baylor Multiple Sclerosis Center, Houston, Texas, where he concentrated on clinical research in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology.

Zang earned an MD degree at the Shanghai Second Medical University (now Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine) and a PhD degree in immunology at the University of Brussels. He went on to complete postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and a clinical residency at Baylor College of Medicine. He has been Professor of Neurology at Baylor and held positions at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong. He is an author on more than 100 scientific papers, review articles, and book chapters.

Marathons talked with Zang about his background and his next challenges.

Marathons: Why did you go into biomedical research?
Zang: I always wanted to be a doctor to save people's lives. When I was a kid, I thought it was "cool" to be a doctor. Not until I was in medical school did I realize how much I had to learn to be a good doctor. Then there came a turning point in my latter years of med school when I realized that we had only limited understanding of disease mechanisms and that our treatment options for our patients were so limited. That was the time I turned my interest to basic research and science in the hope of finding new treatments for patients.

Marathons: What is your assessment of bioscience in China?
Zang: Over the past five years, I have witnessed rapid growth of bioscience research in China. It is partially reflected by the increasing number of publications in Nature, Science, and other internationally prestigious journals. In some areas, such as stem cell research, China is taking leading positions.

Marathons: What attracted you to GSK?
Zang: GSK has a unique global vision toward the creation of R&D China. It is not created just for the Chinese market but for the global market.

Marathons: What are the immediate next steps--let's say, the steps to be initiated this year--in creating China R&D?
Zang: My next steps are, one, recruit the best and brightest scientists; two, build our research facility in Shanghai; and, three, build our pipeline within a reasonable time frame.

Marathons: What types of scientists are you looking for?
Zang: We are looking for chemists and biologists of various disciplines. More specifically, we are looking for scientists who are creative and innovative and who have the passion and skills to turn scientific knowledge into treatments for patients. We are looking for those who enjoy creating novel medicines to save people.

Marathons: How do you see the timing of the components of China R&D which you will be piecing together? Which come first, which later?
Zang: In the first three years, we will be mainly focusing on building up our drug-discovery strength. In three years, we will start to build our clinical development capabilities, in addition to continued growth of drug discovery.

Marathons: Have you already received any expressions of interest from potential recruits in China?
Zang: I have received a lot of interest from people within and outside China. People expect R&D China will grow rapidly and like the future of R&D China.

Marathons: What is your vision for China R&D a decade from now?
Zang: By that time, R&D China would become a fully-integrated global R&D organization within GSK. It would have over 1,000 scientists, covering not only drug discovery but also clinical development and global registration. By that time, R&D China would have a mature pipeline in the area of neurodegenerative diseases, making "novel medicines discovered in China" a reality. R&D China becomes a flagship enterprise in China.

Marathons: When someday you look back on your work, what would you like to be able to say about it?
Zang: I hope I would be able to say I had an impact on new drug discovery. It would be profoundly gratifying to know that every day patients are benefiting from medicines to which I made some contribution. And I hope that others who will be working at R&D China will know that same satisfaction.