Dr. Yu joined Forward Ventures in 2015 to direct its efforts to organize a cross-border program involving Asia and China, in particular. Dr. Yu’s career in biotechnology began as a scientist-entrepreneur 25 years ago, and most recently was CEO of Ansun Biopharma, which has received more than $120M from US government and private funding sources for drug development, including a ~$60M National Institutes of Health contract for development of a novel, broad spectrum influenza biological therapeutic. Ansun Biopharma has received the “Scientific American 50” award for this innovative drug. Prior to founding Ansun Biopharma, Dr. Yu was a co-founder and Executive Vice President of CFY Biomedicals, Inc., for which he has raised multiple rounds of VC financings for the Company. CFY’s lead product, ColdSol which is a common cold medicine, won the CONNECT Award for Most Innovative New Product in 2002. Prior to CFY Biomedicals, Dr. Yu was a scientific co-founder of ItherX Pharmaceuticals for drug development against HIV, HBV, and HCV. Dr. Yu is uniquely positioned to lead Forward Venture’s China/Asia program as he is also a founding board member of BayHelix, currently one of the most influential organizations of leaders of Chinese heritage in the global life sciences and healthcare community. Dr. Yu holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Indiana University School of Medicine, and received his BS and MS degrees from Fudan University. Dr. Yu was named as “Entrepreneur of 2008, We Chinese in America”
