On December 7, 2024, the 2024 Pudong International Talent Port Forum was held at the Zhangjiang Science Hall. The forum officially unveiled and honored the recipients of the 'Pearl Plan' for Pudong New Area in 2024, including leading talents, elite talents, and engineers, along with presenting honorary certificates. Dr. Wan Yakun, founder, chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Novamab, was selected and awarded the title of "Pearl Leading Talent" for Pudong New Area in 2024.  

As the founder, chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Novamab, Dr. Wan Yakun has been dedicated to the field of nanobody research for 18 years, accumulating vast experience in the development and industrialization of nanobody projects. He holds a prestigious reputation and is widely recognized in this field, serving as a trailblazer in domestic nanobody research. Dr. Wan Yakun has published over 70 SCI papers on nanoantibodies and submitted more than 110 domestic and international invention patent applications, with 42 already authorized.

leadership of Dr. Wan Yakun, Novamab continues to make innovations in the field of nanobody based drugs, and has achieved numerous breakthrough results. He led the team to develop LQ036 and LQ043H, the world's first inhaled nanobody drugs, which are designed to treat all patients with moderate to severe asthma. These innovative drugs break away from traditional delivery methods and pioneer the inhalation for local administration of antibody drugs, addressing a significant gap in the treatment of asthma with inhaled macromolecular in China.

The selection of Dr. Wan Yakun not only demonstrates the recognition of the leadership position of Novamab in the field of biomedicine by the Pudong New Area government and various sectors of society, but also sets higher goals and expectations for the company in terms of technological innovation and talent cultivation. The company will use this as a driving force to continue attracting outstanding talents with a global perspective, pioneering spirit, and innovative consciousness, fuactively promoting the research and development of new-generation innovative drugs, and accelerating the provision of more efficient and novel treatment plans for patients, aiming to bring about thrilling medical breakthroughs.

01   About the Pearl Plan

The "Pearl Plan" is an important special policy in the "1+1+N" talent policy system of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. It aims to attract a group of overseas high-level talents who are pioneers in international science and technology, enabling them to lead independent technological innovation globally, while also identifying and nurturing innovative and entrepreneurial talents with leading roles or high growth potential. By 2025, we plan to select and support more than 10 "Pearl Peak Talents", over 300 "Pearl Leading Talents", more than 600 "Pearl Elite Talents", and over 1,000 "Pearl Engineers", will propel the overall prowess of strategic talent to the global forefront, expedite the emergence of numerous world-class accomplishments in fundamental research, pivotal core technologies, and various other domains, thereby taking a pioneering role in advancing high-level technological self-sufficiency.

02   About Novamab

Shanghai Novamab Technology Co., Ltd., founded in October 2017 in Shanghai International Medical Park, is a pioneering biopharmaceutical enterprise specializing in nanobody drug research and industrialization. It has established a complete research and development, CMC, and pilot production platform and system, and is currently the only company in China with full process development capabilities for nanobody drugs. Novamab has built a 500L Pichia pastoris nanobody GMP pilot production workshop, filling the industry gap in this field, which is extremely scarce and competitive. As of November 2024, Novamab has applied for more than 80 domestic and foreign invention patents and has been granted 31 patents.Novamab, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has a robust R&D pipeline that spans respiratory system, autoimmune disease, immuno-oncology, ophthalmology, and oncology. The company has achieved 4 clinical approvals, as detailed on their official website. The LQ036 and LQ043H products under development by Novamab have overturned the existing treatment methods for respiratory diseases, both representing the world's first inhaled nanobody drugs targeting the same condition. LQ036 has completed Phase I clinical trials in China and Australia, and is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials in China. The Phase I clinical trials have shown promising results in terms of drug safety and biomarker efficacy. LQ043H, a project by Shanghai Luqi Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., has successfully completed a Phase Ia clinical study in China, showcasing its excellent safety profile and drug tolerance. This study is part of the broader development plan for LQ043H, which aims to treat a wide range of moderate to severe asthma cases through inhalation. At the same time, the company fully leverages the advantages of nanobodies and actively lays out nanobody dual antibody and multi antibody platforms, including projects in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other autoimmune diseases that are rapidly advancing.