On 11 September the 2024 edition of Fortune China’s list of entrepreneurial companies with the greatest social impact was published, and Westlake Pharmaceuticals was included.
Why it was selected: Westlake Pharmaceuticals has built an innovation system spanning “target screening — structure determination — molecular design — synthesis — formulation optimisation — functional validation”, dedicated to original medicines with its own intellectual property for major human diseases. Its distinctive model combines AI-assisted drug design with high-throughput DEL screening, and underpins a portfolio of 11 programmes. The first of them, Mprosevir® (WPV01), went from original discovery through clinical study to industrial translation in under three years, and is close to approval.
Fortune is one of the world’s best-known business magazines, and Fortune China has published this list for four consecutive years; 60 companies were included this year.
The citation notes: “This list looks at innovation, whether technological or in business model, and at social impact — companies that use their commercial practice to address difficult social issues. That is what the era asks of entrepreneurs, and it determines how far and how wide a company can grow.”
The list seeks companies that have moved beyond the start-up phase, are growing on the strength of technology or business-model innovation, and are addressing pressing social problems. Inclusion affirms both the social and commercial value of Westlake Pharmaceuticals.
This year’s list paid particular attention to the combination of AI and business. AI is being applied not only in traditional manufacturing but also in medical devices and drug discovery. Westlake Pharmaceuticals is exploring a path where AI leads drug development.
With Westlake University and Westlake Laboratory the company built an AI drug design platform that integrates life sciences, physical sciences and computer science with generative models, multimodal learning and model fine-tuning. Deep in theory, full in process coverage and high in prediction accuracy, it accelerates the preclinical workflow, and several programmes have markedly shortened development cycles because of it.
Original medicines for major human diseases are the company’s founding purpose, and that conviction keeps guiding it. In four years Westlake Pharmaceuticals has achieved a series of breakthroughs: its first original drug, Mprosevir® (WPV01), completed the full path from discovery to clinical study far faster than usual; in 2024 its second antiviral programme received clinical approvals in China and the United States and entered clinical trials; and oncology programmes are progressing.
Westlake Pharmaceuticals will continue to put patient need first and explore the frontier of drug discovery.