In addition to inventing the anticancer drug Abraxane, he is also the inventor of more than 30 patents. At present, APP Pharmaceutical has branches in Beijing, London, Canada and Sweden. APP produces 100 kinds of drugs for tumor treatment, anesthesia, severe treatment and anti-infection. The operation of the company and the success of drug research and development made him quickly become a billionaire. In 2006, it ranked 486th in the list of billionaires in the world, and117th in the Forbes list of the richest people in the United States in 2007. At that time, his worth was estimated at $3 billion.
/kloc-When I was 0/3 years old, I knew I would be a doctor in the future.
Soon-Shiong Chan was born in 1952. His father used to be a village doctor in Fujian Province in the south of China. The Chen family has nine sons and one daughter, ranking sixth.
During World War II, in order to escape the war, my father decided to move his family to South Africa. As a child, Soon-Shiong Chan was deeply influenced by his father who was proficient in Chinese herbal medicine. He often sits beside his father for hours, watching him prepare Chinese herbal medicine formulas, decoct medicines and feel the pulse of patients. At the same time, he reads widely, especially popular science books, such as the English version of Science magazine.
Under the influence of Chinese and western cultures, he decided to become a doctor at an early age. "/kloc-I knew I would be a doctor when I was 0/3 years old." Soon-Shiong Chan recalled. Ten years later, at the age of 23, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Witwatersrand, a famous school in South Africa.
Because of his outstanding performance, Soon-Shiong Chan was recommended by the dean and entered Johannesburg General Hospital, one of the best hospitals in South Africa at that time. There, Soon-Shiong Chan was the only non-white doctor. At that time, apartheid in South Africa was so serious that some white patients even refused to accept his treatment. His monthly salary is only half that of his white colleagues.
Soon-Shiong Chan's first patient was a white South African who was transferred to the cancer intensive care unit. The patient had a high fever at that time. However, when the patient saw that he was yellow, he once refused. The teacher who instructed Soon-Shiong Chan said to the patient, "Either let Dr. Chen see you or leave our hospital!" Soon-Shiong Chan took over, and soon found the reason. He prescribed the right medicine, and soon the patient's temperature returned to normal. Since then, the attitude of white South Africans has changed. When chatting with other patients in the hospital, he often said, "That doctor Hua is good. You must ask him to see you!"
"Before me, China people were not allowed to practice and work there. I discussed with my boss that if I ranked in the top four business here, he would give me a hand. " Soon-Shiong Chan recalled: "After that, he was approved by the South African government, and I realized my wish to be the first China person to work in this white hospital. Although my salary is only half that of my white colleagues, I know I can get the best exercise opportunities and work with the best doctors here. I will not go on strike like others. "
From 65438 to 0977, Soon-Shiong Chan completed her internship in Johannesburg General Hospital and married her girlfriend Michelle? Chen is married. Michelle's ideal is to become an actress, but in South Africa at that time, it was as difficult for a China girl to become an actress as it was to become a professional doctor. After the internship, Soon-Shiong Chan got the opportunity to work in the General Hospital affiliated to the University of British Columbia. So, the two young people decided to go to North America to seek greater development. This is also the first turning point of Soon-Shiong Chan's career.
There's nothing wrong with being unconventional.
Now, when Soon-Shiong Chan, who has a brilliant career, is interviewed by the media and asked about his success, Soon-Shiong Chan often recalls his father's subtle influence on himself. "My idol is my father." Soon-Shiong Chan told reporters, "On the other hand, my experience as a surgeon is the best exercise for me to become a CEO in the future. When doing surgery, we must be firm, decisive and practical. Even if this decision may threaten the patient's life, you must try, because sometimes you can't grasp all the facts. If the patient has any problems in the end, you must be responsible. "
Soon-Shiong Chan learned how to temper his strong will from his father who was a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, and how to make the best decision effectively and decisively from western medicine. In the eyes of colleagues, he is smart, knowledgeable and far-sighted, but he is also proud and ambitious. The Los Angeles Business Daily commented: "It is true that Soon-Shiong Chan's life is a mixture of yin and yang, and it is difficult to outline it clearly in a simple sentence or two." His talent gave him proud and conceited capital, but it also made him controversial.
In Vancouver, Soon-Shiong Chan officially became a surgeon. At that time, a professor did not believe that with Soon-Shiong Chan's qualifications, he could successfully remove two grapefruit-sized tumors from patients without breaking them. Soon-Shiong Chan was unconvinced and immediately made a bet with the professor. The bet is the professor's beautiful walnut table. After careful preparation, Soon-Shiong Chan successfully completed the operation and won the walnut watch to go home. 1980, when he transferred to the medical school of UCLA, that heavy walnut table became one of the only two pieces of furniture that the couple took away.
"When others deny my ability, it is the most exciting moment in my life." Soon-Shiong Chan said, "I don't care what reason or purpose he said this about me, but I will always answer him like this: Great, because that's exactly what I need to do." Soon-Shiong Chan believes that if you want to make a difference, you can't go with the flow. "There is nothing wrong with holding different views or being unconventional."
Weird guy
When he came to the United States, Soon-Shiong Chan first devoted himself to diabetes research. Michelle Chen wants to be an actress in Hollywood.
With the support of his wife, young Soon-Shiong Chan began to study the treatment of diabetes. He tried to replace insulin injection with pancreatic cell transplantation, but the department manager responded: "You whimsical guy!" " "
But Soon-Shiong Chan didn't give up. From 65438 to 0993, Soon-Shiong Chan applied diabetes therapy to human trials for the first time, and successfully transplanted pancreatic cells to a diabetic patient, which also became a sensational news at that time. However, a few months after transplanting cells, the patient had to resume insulin injection. This has also become a handle for many scientists to criticize him for "exaggerating medical research results and practicing fraud."
Although the effect of the operation was limited, as a surgeon, Soon-Shiong Chan saw an opportunity in it. Soon, Soon-Shiong Chan established the first company in his life, VivoRx, which specializes in the research and development of diabetes drugs. At that time, Myron, a large pharmaceutical manufacturer, and Soon-Shiong Chan's eldest brother were both interested in pancreatic cell transplantation developed by Soon-Shiong Chan, and they both invested $5 million in VivoRx.
But soon, Soon-Shiong Chan's interest turned to cancer research. He founded Arborius Biotechnology Company, engaged in the research of anticancer drug paclitaxel nano-preparation, which buried the bane of his conflict with investors. His eldest brother and Mylan fired him twice and took him to court, accusing him of illegally transferring the research funds of VivoRx Company to Arborius Biotechnology Company. Soon-Shiong Chan denied these accusations and even denied that his eldest brother had invested in him. Finally, Soon-Shiong Chan and his eldest brother parted ways.
When interviewed by the media, Soon-Shiong Chan never wanted to talk about this history with his eldest brother. His colleague Pierce didn't want to say much about it. "This is an old story, but I can say for sure that Soon-Shiong Chan is the last party to win this lawsuit."
Litigation and parting ways with eldest brother failed to stop Soon-Shiong Chan from researching new anticancer drugs. At that time, paclitaxel was the best-selling cancer drug in the world, but there were some weaknesses, such as low efficiency and large side effects. In view of these weaknesses, Soon-Shiong Chan has made arduous efforts and made a breakthrough. In 2005, Arborius Biotechnology Co., Ltd. invested 65,438+00 years to develop paclitaxel nano-preparation, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of breast cancer. In addition to paclitaxel nanoparticles, Soon-Shiong Chan has more than 50 other American patents.