JLABS @ Shanghai: The Innovation Hub That's Poised to Shake Up the Healthcare Start-Up Scene in Asia

Sharon Chan, head of the first Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, in Asia, gives us a tour of the exciting new incubator that's designed to help entrepreneurs turn great ideas into great products.

By Nicole Frehsee MazurJune 27, 2019

1.4 billion.

That's how many people live in China. And that number jumps to4.3 billionfor the countries that make up the Asia-Pacific region, including China and India.

It's not surprising then that, with60% of the world's population livingin the region, there are challenging health issues to tackle, such as spikes in such chronic diseases ascancer,diabetesand neurodegenerative conditions likedementia.

Why the City That Never Sleeps Is Ready to Reinvent Healthcare With JLABS @ NYC

expand

Sharon Chan, Head of JLABS @ Shanghai

But there's now a powerful new resource for healthcare innovation in the region that's specifically aimed at tackling some of these medical problems:JLABS @ Shanghai, the latest healthcare incubator fromJohnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, and its first outpost in Asia.

We sat down with Sharon Chan,Head of JLABS @ Shanghai, to learn about the strategic direction of the exciting new innovation hub that's poised to help scientists and entrepreneurs develop and market cutting-edge products and technologies that have the potential to propel healthcare forward not just in Asia but around the world.

Q:

Why Shanghai?

A:

The Asia-Pacific region is emerging as a powerhouse for early-stage innovation, and China, specifically, has a role to play. Not only does it have the world'ssecond-largest economyand pharmaceutical market, but the healthcare venture capitalist landscape has grown exponentially in China.

Shanghai itself has the country's highest concentration of medical research and development resources, from science parks and universities to medical schools-all of which contribute to a significant talent pool. Plus, it's an emerging hot spot for life science innovation; we're seeing a lot of companies popping up in areas related to gene therapy, regenerative medicine, themicrobiomeandartificial intelligence.

4 Questions for a Scientist Working on a Revolutionary CAR-T Therapy for Multiple Myeloma

We also chose the city because we have strong support from the Shanghai Municipal and Pudong New Area governments and are impressed with how much they are investing in biotechnology, innovation and healthcare.

expand

The new JLABS @ Shanghai has over 47,000 square feet of meeting, office and lab space

The part we can play is to help start-ups translate basic research into commercially viable healthcare solutions by providing these entrepreneurs with the resources needed to help transition their great idea into a great product.

We're located across the corridor from the scientists working at theShanghai Discovery Center of Janssen China Research and Development, part of theJanssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. The teams there focus on research programs dealing withsmall-molecule drugdiscovery,biomarkersand clinical trials forhepatitis B,lungand blood cancers. And we're just hundreds of feet away from ShanghaiTech University. All of this serves to nurture an ecosystem that brings together innovators to address rapidly evolving healthcare needs.

Q:

What's your vision for JLABS @ Shanghai?

A:

We want to help address the growing healthcare needs of the region, and by being close to the patients, we are better positioned to do just that.Lung canceris theleading cause of cancer deathin China, with more than700,000 deaths each year-so that will be an important initial focus, but not the only one.

New Study Shows Researchers May Be One Step Closer to Intercepting Lung Cancer Earlier

We're looking for the best and brightest talent working on the most disruptive and game-changing science. This could include oncology, immunology, neuroscience and cardiovascular and infectious diseases.

We will have serial entrepreneurs who've bought and sold successful biotech companies working next to entrepreneurs coming out of university. This diversity is going to drive so much learning and so many truly amazing opportunities to help transform healthcare.

Q:

How many start-ups will you support at JLABS @ Shanghai and how?

A:

There will be more than 50 companies with yearlong residencies here that will have access to offices, open workstations and concept and chemistry labs outfitted with centrifuges, specialized microscopes, 3-D printers and flow cytometers that help with advanced cell analysis.

From Grad Student to Biotech CEO: "10 Things I've Learned Launching a Health Tech Start-Up"

Some resident companies will consist of solo entrepreneurs who are just getting started, while others have an overseas presence but are using JLABS @ Shanghai as a launching pad in China. We've gotten applications from interested entrepreneurs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada and the U.S., to name a few. One company, for example, is using 3-D printing to help with wound healing, while others are targeting treatments forAlzheimer'sandcancer.

expand

Resident companies have access to laboratories equipped with everything from specialized microscopes to 3-D printers

Our goal is to guide entrepreneurs through the early stages of business, so in addition to providing workspace and R&D infrastructure, we also offer mentoring on topics ranging from legal and regulatory issues to HR and strategy. We even provide access to venture capitalists who will come in and do open hours for our resident companies.

And while we help support the start-ups, each company retains their own intellectual property, which lets them maintain complete freedom.

We want to help entrepreneurs so that they can focus on what they do best-their science. But whatever the company's emphasis, JLABS provides an environment in which they can focus on innovation.

Q:

What are you most excited about?

A:

I can't wait to see how entrepreneurs from different countries and backgrounds come together to inspire each other.

We will have serial entrepreneurs who've bought and sold successful biotech companies working next to entrepreneurs coming straight out of university. This diversity is going to drive so much learning and so many truly amazing opportunities to help transform healthcare in Asia.