Chang Yi Wang

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Chang Yi Wang

| native_name = 王長怡

| image = ChangYiWang.jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|12|19}}

| birth_place = Taipei, Taiwan

| known_for = {{ublist |Synthetic peptide based immunological applications in diagnostics, vaccines and immunotherapeutics.

|Protein drugs including innovative monoclonal antibodies and long acting protein drugs.}}

| alma_mater = {{ublist |National Taiwan University (BS)|Rockefeller University (PhD)}}

| doctoral_advisor = Henry Kunkel

| academic_advisors = {{ublist |Robert Bruce Merrifield |Ralph M. Steinman}}

| workplaces = {{ublist |Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | United Biomedical }}

}}

Chang Yi Wang ({{zh|t=王長怡|s=王长怡|first=t|p=Wángzhǎngyí}}; IPA: [tʃɒ̌ŋ jí wɒ́ŋ]) is the founder of United Biomedical, Inc. (UBI), headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, and its group of companies in Asia (including United Biomedical Asia [zh]).

Early life and education

Wang was born in Taiwan in 1951.{{cite web |title=王長怡×王瑞瑜突破台灣生技盲點｜天下雜誌 |url=https://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5082703 |website=天下雜誌 |accessdate=2019-10-06|language=zh-tw}} Her father was a member of the National Assembly. She was inspired to go into science by the example of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu who disproved the ‘conservation of parity’ theory in 1957.[https://www.wired.co.uk/article/alzheimers-vaccine-united-neuroscience Wired UK website, article dated June 24, 2019] She graduated with honors from the National Taiwan University in 1973, majoring in organic chemistry.

She was the first Asian woman on the Rockefeller University graduate programme and achieved her Ph.D. degree in 1979 with a dual specialization in biochemistry and immunology. She was mentored by Bruce Merrifield, Henry Kunkel, Gerald Edelman and Ralph Steinman. She then joined the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as the youngest faculty member, principal investigator, and head of the molecular immunology laboratory.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/alzheimers-vaccine-united-neuroscience|title=A vaccine for Alzheimer's is on the verge of becoming a reality |magazine=Wired UK |accessdate=2019-10-11}}

Career

In 1985, Wang and her husband Nean Hu founded United Biomedical, Inc. in New York - the company’s main focus is on medicine and vaccine development.{{cite web |title=人物側寫－8萬美元起家王長怡締造生技業奇蹟 - 財經要聞 |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20170426000039-260202?chdtv |website=中時電子報 |accessdate=2019-10-06 |language=zh-Hant-TW}} She founded United Biomedical, Inc. Asia in Taiwan in 1998. She later founded United Biopharma and UBI Pharma in 2013 and 2014 respectively.{{cite web |title=About United BioPharma |url=http://www.unitedbiopharma.com/about.php |accessdate=2019-10-11 |website=www.unitedbiopharma.com}}{{cite web |title=UBI Pharma Company Overview |url=http://www.ubi-pharma.com/eng/page102.html |accessdate=2019-10-11 |website=www.ubi-pharma.com}}

The companies later created testing for HIV and Hepatitis C, and carried out research on a vaccine for HIV.

Wang is the author of more than 120 peer-reviewed scientific publications and by 2019, she was the inventor of more than 80 patents.{{cite web |url=http://www.unitedbiomedical.com/publication.html |title=Publication |website=www.unitedbiomedical.com |accessdate=2019-10-07 |archive-date=October 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006182629/http://www.unitedbiomedical.com/publication.html |url-status=dead }}[https://patents.justia.com/inventor/chang-yi-wang Justia Patents website, profile page]

=Awards=

In 2007, the New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) presented Wang with the Inventor of the Year Award.{{cite web |url=http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Medical-Patent-Week/2007-06-17/55061720077MP.html/ |title=United Biomedical, Inc. CEO Dr. Chang Yi Wang named Inventor of the Year 2007 by New York Intellectual Property Law Association |publisher=NewsRx |date=2007-06-17 |accessdate=2011-08-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928232530/http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Medical-Patent-Week/2007-06-17/55061720077MP.html/ |archivedate=September 28, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}

In 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Grand Challenges Exploration Grants to Wang for the Synthetic Peptides to Inhibit HIV Entry program.{{cite web |url=https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/grant/synthetic-peptides-inhibit-hiv-entry |website=gcgh.grandchallenges.org |title=Global Grand Challenges|accessdate=2019-10-11}}

In 2018, the Brain Mapping Foundation presented Wang with the Pioneer in Technology Award.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbrainmapping.org/Annual-Awards-Gala/Technology-Award |title=Pioneer in Technology Award |website=www.worldbrainmapping.org |accessdate=2019-10-07}}

Legal case

In 2021, Wang was part of a court case which concerned the ownership of UBI, in particular, possible breach of contractual agreements and misuse of authority positions.[https://trellis.law/case/36103/614745-2022/dr-chang-yi-wang-v-united-biomedical-inc-mei-mei-hu-louis-garfield-reese-iv-johannes-aka-joop-sistermans-james-jie-chui Trellis Law website, Suffocilk County Supreme Courts page (Dr Chang Yi Wang -v- United Biomedical Inc), retrieved 2023-08-28][https://unicourt.com/case/tx-dl3-united-biomedical-inc-vs-chang-yi-wang-et-al-48351 UniCourt website, retrieved 2023-08-28]

Family

Wang’s daughter Mei Mei Hu is the co-founder and CEO of Vaxxinity (originally named Covaxx), a subsidiary of UBI;[https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/features/vaxxinity-ceo-mei-mei-hu-on-vaccine-research-and-democratising-health/?cf-view Clinical Trials Arena website, article dated May 19, 2021] the company originally focused on possible vaccines for Alzheimer’s and animal health[https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201125005466/en/COVAXX-Announces-2.8-Billion-in-Advance-Purchase-Commitments-to-Deliver-More-Than-140-Million-Vaccine-Doses-to-Emerging-Countries Business Wire website, article dated November 25, 2020] but shifted to working on a vaccine for COVID-19. The company helped to develop vaccine candidate UB-612.{{cite news | vauthors = Liao G |title=Taiwan News website, Taiwan's second domestic COVID vaccine's midterm performance in phase II trials inferior to local competitor: experts |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4233956 |access-date=8 July 2021 |publisher=Taiwan News |date=27 June 2021}}[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/covaxx-announces-first-multitope-peptide-based-vaccine-to-enter-human-trials-301093996.html PR Newswire website, article dated July 15, 2020]