WuXi Biologics, delivered a keynote address at the 43rd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, providing an insightful look into the company’s latest achievements, strategies, and future outlook. His presentation highlighted WuXi Biologics’ significant milestones and laid out an ambitious roadmap for continued growth and innovation in the biopharmaceutical sector.
Dr. Chris Chen’s Keynote Address
Dr. Chen opened his speech by emphasizing the company’s ongoing success in executing its strategic initiatives, particularly the “Follow and Win the Molecule” strategies, which have positioned WuXi Biologics as a leader in the biopharmaceutical services industry. He underscored the company’s unique CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) business model, its technological prowess, and its operational excellence. These elements, he said, have enabled WuXi Biologics to achieve significant growth and success across its three main segments—Research, Development, and Manufacturing (R&D&M).
Dr. Chen highlighted that 2024 marked a record year for WuXi Biologics, with the company adding 151 new integrated projects to its portfolio, bringing the total number of active projects to 817. This growth, he noted, was driven by strong client trust, particularly from U.S.-based clients, who accounted for more than half of the new projects. These results were achieved despite facing external challenges, demonstrating the company’s resilience and the continued strength of its business model.
Execution of “Follow the Molecule” and “Win the Molecule” Strategies
WuXi Biologics’ “Follow the Molecule” strategy allows the company to grow alongside its clients throughout the entire lifecycle of drug development, from the discovery phase through to commercialization. This approach ensures seamless collaboration, efficiency, and service continuity, which has been a major contributor to WuXi Biologics’ remarkable growth. Since 2014, the company has seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 50%, far outpacing the industry average.
In 2024, WuXi Biologics added a record 151 projects to its portfolio, with more than 50% of these originating from U.S. clients. This underscores the trust placed in WuXi Biologics by major industry players and the strength of its client relationships. Among the new projects, 66 were Phase III clinical trials, and 21 were non-COVID commercial manufacturing projects. The company’s ability to support these late-stage and commercial projects positions it for continued success in the years ahead.
The “Win the Molecule” strategy, which focuses on securing late-stage and commercial projects, also continues to deliver impressive results. In 2024, WuXi Biologics added 20 new projects, including 13 Phase III and commercial ventures. This represents a doubling of the company’s “Win-the-Molecule” projects since 2018, further demonstrating its technical capabilities and operational excellence.
Strengthening CRDMO Capabilities
Over the past decade, WuXi Biologics has rapidly expanded its CRDMO capabilities, thanks in large part to its innovative “Follow and Win the Molecule” strategies. The company has also made substantial investments in its discovery technology platforms and the application of single-use technologies (SUT) in commercial manufacturing. WuXi Biologics has completed over 300 large-scale SUT manufacturing batches, and these advances in research and manufacturing are expected to drive future growth for the company.
WuXi Biologics’ Research (R) platform continues to unlock new revenue and profit opportunities. In 2024, the company facilitated seven global discovery projects, generating $140 million in near-term payments and a potential total transaction value of more than $2.3 billion. With over 50 projects eligible for milestone payments and royalties, WuXi Biologics is well-positioned for sustained financial growth.
The company is a leader in new modalities services such as bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The WuXiBody™ platform plays a critical role in these innovations, with 44 discovery-stage projects, 5 CMC and preclinical-stage projects, and 4 Phase I clinical trials currently underway. Notably, WuXi Biologics collaborates with leading companies like GSK, Curon Biopharmaceutical, and MediGene to advance T-cell engager (TCE) therapeutics.
In the ADC space, WuXi Biologics has formed partnerships with Aadi Bioscience and Duality Biologics to develop cutting-edge therapies, leveraging its deep expertise in monoclonal antibody technology.
Development: Setting New Standards in Biopharmaceuticals
WuXi Biologics continues to expand its development services, attracting new clients across the globe. In 2024, the company signed 148 new development projects, including a 120% increase in clients from Europe. This expanded customer base reflects WuXi Biologics’ growing global reach and the increasing demand for its services.
The company has also made significant strides in optimizing delivery timelines while maintaining its high standards of quality. WuXi Biologics has shortened the development time for monoclonal antibody projects from DNA to IND to just nine months. In a recent autoimmune disease project, the company completed the development process in just six months, setting new benchmarks in speed and efficiency.
Manufacturing: Building a Robust Global Network
WuXi Biologics has excelled in the field of commercial manufacturing, utilizing cutting-edge technologies and processes to support its clients. The company has scaled its operations using single-use bioreactors, with production capacities expanding from 4,000 to 16,000 liters across its global facilities. This capacity expansion has led to an impressive 99% success rate in batch production from 2022 to 2024.
In 2024, WuXi Biologics completed 16 process performance qualification (PPQ) projects and anticipates completing 24 additional PPQ projects in 2025. These achievements underscore the company’s growing leadership in single-use technology (SUT) and its ability to offer scalable manufacturing solutions to clients.
The company’s world-class quality systems have been instrumental in these successes. WuXi Biologics has successfully passed over 40 inspections by global regulatory agencies, achieving a 100% success rate in pre-approval inspections (PAI), including 22 conducted by the FDA and EMA.
WuXi Biologics has also made significant progress in its global facilities. The Ireland site, which houses three GMP-certified facilities, has successfully completed multiple 16,000-liter PPQ runs and is expected to be profitable by 2025. The Worcester, U.S. site (MFG11) has been designed to be the “biologics facility of the future,” featuring fully automated technologies and six 6,000-liter single-use bioreactors, with plans to synergize with the Cranbury site (MFG18) for end-to-end services in the U.S.
A Leader in ESG and Sustainability
WuXi Biologics has also been recognized as a leader in sustainability, earning industry accolades for its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts. The company has maintained the highest AAA ESG rating from MSCI for two consecutive years and was included in the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Additionally, WuXi Biologics received the Platinum Medal from EcoVadis and was named the “Industry Top-Rated” and “Region (Asia-Pacific) Top-Rated” company by Morningstar Sustainalytics.
In November 2024, WuXi Biologics’ Green CRDMO solutions were featured in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) “20 Best Practices for Sustainable Development” report. The company’s commitment to providing innovative, end-to-end green biopharmaceutical solutions has been integral to its strategy. By integrating green technologies into every stage of the biopharmaceutical lifecycle—research, development, and manufacturing—WuXi Biologics is able to enhance productivity, reduce the Product Carbon Footprint by up to 80%, and accelerate progress toward a more sustainable future.
Read more: WuXi Biologics CEO Dr. Chris Chen: Ready for Rapid Expansion
