Tao Zhang

1. Sourcing globally for pipeline projects and strategic initiatives. 2. Screening and assessment for potential opportunities. 3. Lead the cross-functional team to business case and support the deal execution.

1. Perform market research and evaluate product development opportunities, including supporting the overall product evaluation of the commercial opportunity and analysis of the competitive landscape. 2. Lead search, identification and initial review of collaboration and licensing opportunities (both innovative small molecules and biologics) worldwide and conduct financial analysis. 3. Maintain high level of communication regarding business development activities with internal and external stakeholders; prepare, coordinate and present the company’s capabilities to possible collaborators. 4. Lead in the negotiation of term sheets and definitive agreements for business transactions of licensing, partnership, alliances or collaboration opportunities. 5. Work with internal team on evaluation, due diligence and initial product development plan for proposed transactions.

1. Lead market research, formulate BD strategies for specific therapeutic areas, screen and evaluate domestic and oversea potential products, and contact target companies; 2. Work with other functional teams such as regulatory, legal, finance, R&D, manufacturing and sales, and come up with assessment/recommendations for new BD opportunities; 3. Participate in relevant conferences, conduct pre-evaluate and screening, identify potential opportunities in line with the company’s strategic direction, and follow up post-conference; 4. Help gather information about new partnering opportunities, including technology transfer for reference listed drugs with patents expired, generic drugs with high technical barriers, etc.

1. Lead projects that bridge western pharmaceutical/life science companies and the China market; clients include top pharmaceutical/life sciences companies in the world; 2. Searched for drug R&D and registration information, conducted market/competitive analysis and developed China strategy for a mid-sized European pharma; 3. Identified the internationally latest biomarker / technology breakthroughs in specific therapeutic areas for a Big Pharma and a well-known US life science company; 4. Attended JP Morgan Conference for business development, bringing in international projects; 5. Engaged in some partnering and M&A deals for western pharmaceutical/healthcare companies that seek strategic partners and investors in China.

1. Searched for drug R&D and registration information, conducted market/competitive analysis and developed China strategy for a mid-sized US pharma; 2. Identified a Chinese partner for a mid-sized European public pharma and involved in term sheet negotiation; 3. Helped early-stage companies raise funds in China; 4. Prepared reports on IPO, M&A/JV, Corporate Investments, VC Investments and Partnering activities in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry; the data was cited by international and Chinese pharmaceutical companies, financial institutions, governmental agencies, professional associations, law firms, VC firms, media, etc.

1. Set up biology department and managed 50 employees for preclinical projects; 2. Led a 14-FTE team and worked on projects sponsored by western pharmaceutical companies varying from Big Pharma to small-sized companies; 3. Interacted with western pharmaceutical companies during the visits to the US and Japan, and brought in FTE-based projects; 4. Coordinated with government for funding.

I had been focusing on setting up in vitro platforms (from gene to protein) for high throughput drug screening (enzyme- or cell-based assays) at National Center for Drug Screening, Chinese Academy of Sciences.