Exclusive Interview with Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
How Integrating Chemistry and Biology Reshapes Early Drug Development:
At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, the spotlight often reflects the rapid pace of cancer science: new targets, emerging biology, and evolving therapeutic approaches. But the real challenge lies in translating these scientific advances into viable drug candidates.
Tao Guo, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research Chemistry Services, Integrated Program Management at WuXi AppTec, sat down with Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News to discuss three shifts shaping early discovery today:
- Expanding modalities – from targeted protein degradation to next-generation ADCs
- A move beyond single targets to pathway-level thinking
- A growing emphasis on translatability, not just potency
Together, these changes are redefining what success looks like in early-stage drug development. One of the most important shifts is how chemistry and biology are working together. As the field continues to evolve, discovery is becoming less about individual compounds and more about how effectively we connect capabilities to translate science into medicines.
