Hwa Jin Lee
CDO and Co-Founder UPPThera
Hwa Jin Lee is an expert in TPD field for several years, heading PLK1 degrader, an UPPThera’s current lead pipeline, to FDA IND clearance for phase 1/2a clinical trial. Also, he is in charge of bioinformatics and AI, which are currently being actively used in novel E3 ligase discovery and degrader pipeline optimization.
Seminars
- Understanding venture capital expectations in Korea, China and Japan to tailor fundraising strategies, attract sufficient capital and enable sustainable scaling of your biotech
- Examining how early-stage proof-of-concept studies validate technology, strengthen investor confidence, and accelerate pharma partnership commitments
- Discussing how to structure successful biotech–pharma–academia collaborations in South Korea, Japan and China to balance expectations and maximize the translational speed of your TPD candidate
- What does the future hold for the TPD field? What are the emerging modalities and where do you think they are they headed?
As Korean biotechs advance from discovery toward clinical development, the transition often exposes critical gaps in technical standards and strategic planning. This workshop will provide actionable guidance on implementing global best practices for assay design, selectivity profiling, and translational alignment, while addressing the unique challenges faced by emerging TPD companies in Asia. Attendees will gain clarity on what global partners expect, how to structure industry standard compliant data packages, and how to better transition into the clinic.
Key Takeaways:
- Exploring the PLK1 bifunctional degrader for the treatment of SCLC and other cancer types
- Discovering the potent PROTACS and degrader antibody conjugates for “undruggable” targets including KRAS G12D, colorectal and pancreatic cancers
- The discovery of clinical-stage BTK degrader, BGB-16673 and overcoming on-target resistance from BTK inhibitors
