The 6th International China Pharmaceutical R&D Summit comes to yet another successful conclusion for 2011. Held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai, the event attracted 200 participants from over 10 countries, and highlighted some of the most prominent speakers in the industry including Dr. Sam Waskal from Kadmon Pharmaceuticals; Dr. David Nicholson from Merck and Dr. Clive Wood from Bayer Healthcare.

Besides these illustrious keynotes, the Plenary Session on Transformation & Innovation in China drew a huge crowd and rave reviews. Audiences were treated to 2 exciting panels deliberating about the current state and future of innovation in China - from who are the stakeholders of innovation today to how to move up the value chain in the foreseeable future. Panelists candidly and honest reflect on the challenges today and how insiders (tizhinei) and outsiders (tizhiwei) can work together to bridge the gap of innovation and transform China's drug discovery landscape.

Another highlight of the event is the Award Presentation Luncheon. Co-hosted by IBC and BayHelix, 3 awards were presented to recognize the contributions made by institutions or individuals to the advancement of life sciences in China. A team led by Dr. Kunliang Guan from Fudan University won the Scientific Discovery of the Year Award for their 2 publications on Science; while Zhejiang Beta Pharma took the award for Drug Discovery of the Year with their efforts at developing icotinib. Dr. Samantha Du, a highly respected veteran of the life sciences industry in China, was presented with the China Life Sciences R&D Leadership Award. Read more about the awards and view photos of the ceremony.