JianFei Wang

CSO

Immunophage Biotech Ltd

Short Biography

Dr. JianFei Wang – Accomplished Leader in Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery.
Dr. Wang currently holds several prominent academic positions: he is an Adjunct Professor at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Honorary Head and Professor at the Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Sciences; and a Distinguished Professor at Yunnan Agricultural University.
He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of Calgary in Canada and completed his residency in Comparative Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He later conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School before joining the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta, where he served as a faculty member in the Department of Surgery. He subsequently returned to China to further his contributions to biomedical science and innovation.
Dr. Wang brings over 30 years of experience in translational medicine research and team leadership within multinational pharmaceutical companies. He has deep expertise in both small- and large-molecule drug development and is recognized for his strategic insight in guiding R&D programs. During his tenure at GSK R&D China, Dr. Wang established a comprehensive preclinical platform that played a pivotal role in target identification and validation, lead compound optimization, DMPK profiling, discovery histopathology, safety evaluation, and assessment of blood-brain barrier permeability. His work supported numerous projects from early discovery through candidate nomination and into clinical development.
In recognition of his exceptional scientific contributions, Dr. Wang received multiple awards from GSK and was named a Senior GSK Fellow—the company’s highest honor for scientific excellence. He also served as a key member of GSK’s global translational medicine leadership team.

Dr. Wang’s impact on translational medicine and drug discovery is widely recognized. He has received numerous national and international awards and honors, has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier scientific journals, and holds over 10 patents.

Presentation Topic: Discovery of a First-in-Class GPR Antagonist for the Potential Treatment of multiple autoimmune diseases

IPG11406 is a small-molecule, disease-modifying therapy targeting a novel GPCR implicated in autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Preclinical studies demonstrated that IPG11406 completely eradicated inflammatory cells at lesion sites and normalized aberrant gene expression across multiple disease models, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Immunophage has successfully completed a Phase 1 trial of IPG11406 in healthy volunteers. Data from the single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohorts confirmed that the compound is safe, well-tolerated, exhibits no food effect, and follows a linear dose-exposure relationship without food effect or significant drug accumulation.
Building on these findings, Immunophage initiated a Phase 1b/2a trial in lupus nephritis patients earlier this year, starting with a 20 mg BID dose. The study design was guided by a population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model simulation from 3,000 subjects based on available human PK data. To date, three lupus nephritis patients (classified as pathological classes III to V) have been enrolled, with two completing 28 days of treatment. Early results show a significant reduction in proteinuria—56% and 37% by day 29—accompanied by continued improvements in eGFR (MDRD) compared to the baseline. This molecule has also attracted the attention of many overseas organizations.