Date: September 21, 2015
Source: Forbes China

This marks the second time that Forbes China has released its list of China–U.S. Innovators. In last year’s interview, DJI founder Frank Wang remarked with confidence: “We are among the very few Chinese companies capable of building world-class products and leading global trends.”

That statement aligns closely with our criteria for defining innovators: achieving commercial success built on technological foundations; playing a decisive personal role; significantly transforming or even disrupting an industry; creating entirely new user groups; and being widely expected to produce the “next big thing.” Among this year’s ten Chinese innovators, four come from hardware manufacturing, three from the internet sector (particularly mobile internet), and one each from finance, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals.

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Chipscreen Biosciences has developed China’s first original small-molecule drug for lymphoma, Chidamide, which received approval from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and was officially launched in March of this year.

This drug is the world’s first orally active, subtype-selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor to be approved for market use. It is also the first original Chinese-developed drug to be licensed for patent use in developed markets, including the United States. Founder Dr. Xianping Lu dedicated 14 years to this effort, driven by a simple aspiration: “to invent a drug that can treat diseases and save lives.”

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Each year, Forbes publishes its list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies.” From this, the editorial team of Forbes China selected the founders of ten companies as the “Top 10 U.S. Innovators.” While Chinese and American entrepreneurs pursue innovation along different paths—with varying depth and breadth—the two lists complement each other. Like constellations shining together in the night sky, they demonstrate that innovators are never alone.

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Xianping Lu: President of Chipscreen Biosciences

In January 2015, Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences—led by President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Xianping Lu—received CFDA approval for its first original innovative drug, Chidamide. This milestone marked the global debut of a subtype-selective HDAC oral inhibitor and represented the first time a Chinese-developed original drug was licensed for patent use in developed markets such as the United States.

As a pioneer in China’s innovative drug sector, Dr. Lu has spent 14 years cultivating what was once considered a barren landscape for pharmaceutical innovation. By establishing an early-stage drug screening and evaluation platform, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies—including biochips, gene expression profiling, biostatistics, chemical genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—he and his team have shortened development timelines and reduced R&D risks. Chidamide stands as the first major outcome of this integrated innovation platform.