TAIPEI and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. (TPEx: 6492), a drug development company focusing on first-in-class therapeutics for oncology, rare diseases, and infectious diseases, today announced the appointment of Dr. Yiu-Lian Fong to the board of directors for Ding Li Development Ltd.  Dr. Fong, a present member of the Bio Taiwan Committee (BTC) under the Executive Yuan since 2020, has served various organizations in Taiwan including the BTC, the Ministry of Science and Technology Council, and the Medical Device Innovation Center, NCKU as an expert consultant since 2017 to help drive the growth of Biotech industry. Dr. Fong previously served as the Global Head, Diagnostic Innovation and R&D and Clinical Biomarker Strategy and Development at Janssen, Johnson & Johnson. Having nearly thirty years of successful R&D leadership experience for new drug discovery and development in the global pharmaceutical companies, Dr. Fong is dedicated to addressing unmet medical needs for major diseases such as cancer. Her versatile experiences will provide valuable insights into Senhwa's strategic approaches to developing new drugs, help accelerate development timelines, and position Senhwa for the global market.

Dr. Fong received her PhD at Vanderbilt University and completed her post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University. She held important and progressive leadership positions in various global pharmaceutical and IVD companies. She advanced from scientist to the Director of R&D for Novartis Vaccine and Drug Development, and subsequently to the Executive Director at the Novartis Molecular Diagnostics and the Novartis Oncology Division for Drug and Companion Diagnostic co-development. Following her role as Vice President of R&D in Abbott's Molecular Diagnostic Division, she joined Janssen Pharmaceuticals to assume global R&D leadership roles including the Global Head of Diagnostic Innovation, R&D, and CLIA Lab Operation, and the Global Head of Clinical Biomarker and Diagnostic Strategy and Development to help drive the development of precision medicines. Over her 28-year career, Dr. Fong has not only successfully led/directed numerous important R&D programs from pre-clinical, phase I-III to regulatory approval, but also supported phase-IV post-approval studies to accelerate global market expansions. Furthermore, Dr. Fong has demonstrated her expertise in strategic planning for global partnerships and global market penetration for pharmaceuticals and IVD (companion) diagnostics. Her professional expertise and experience in the biotech/pharma/IVD industry will contribute significantly to Senhwa's efforts in progressing the R&D pipeline, and facilitate the global partnerships and commercial success.