Early Life and Education
Michelle Xia, born in Gansu province, China, is the daughter of university-educated engineers. She earned a degree in biochemistry from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou in 1988. She furthered her education with a Ph.D. in molecular biology and microbiology from Newcastle University in the UK in 1994. She completed postdoctoral research training at the University of Glasgow and conducted cancer immune therapy research at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in the United States.
Rise to Success
Xia's career includes significant roles at Crown Bioscience, PDL BioPharma, and Bayer. She founded Akeso Biopharma in 2012, where she currently serves as chairwoman, president, and CEO. Akeso's remarkable growth and success are a testament to her vision and leadership. The company went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in April 2020.
Key Business Strategies
Under Xia's leadership, Akeso has focused on developing innovative therapeutic antibody drugs, particularly in oncology. Akeso is a global leader in bispecific antibody innovation, with two bispecifics—Cadonilimab (PD-1/CTLA-4) and Ivonescimab (VEGF/PD. Akeso's strategy also involves combining existing methods to create more effective treatments and has led to developing the cancer drug, Ivonescimab, which outperformed Merck's Keytruda in clinical trials. Akeso has also licensed its most promising cancer drug to Miami-based firm Summit Therapeutics in 2022 for markets including the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Philanthropy
No Specific Philanthropy data was found.
