Michelle Xia

Founder, Chairwoman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Akeso

Dr. Michelle Xia is an expert in molecular biology and antibody drug development. In 2012, Dr. Xia founded Akeso Inc., leading the company to establish an internationally leading, end-to-end innovation-driven R&D system for new drug development. Under her leadership, Akeso has built a world-leading biologics R&D system featuring independent R&D capabilities and established an advanced AI-powered lifecycle of new drug R&D and intelligent manufacturing, encompassing bispecific/multispecific antibodies, ADCs/bispecific ADCs, TCEs, siRNA, cell therapies, and mRNA. Dr. Xia has led the team to develop a series of globally first-in-class and best-in-class drugs, including cadonilimab (PD-1/CTLA-4), the world’s first bispecific antibody for tumor immunotherapy, and ivonescimab (PD-1/VEGF), the world’s first bispecific antibody combining immunotherapy with anti-angiogenesis mechanisms. These achievements have positioned Akeso as a globally competitive and influential biopharmaceutical company integrating innovative biologics R&D, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

Prior to founding Akeso, Dr. Xia worked at multinational pharmaceutical companies and research institutions including PDL BioPharma (now part of AbbVie, USA), Bayer (Germany), Crown Bioscience, and the School of Medicine at the University of Louisville (USA).

Dr. Xia earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from Sun Yat-Sen University, a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Newcastle University, and completed postdoctoral research training at the University of Glasgow. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the development of China's innovative biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Xia garnered several prestigious national and international honors and titles, and has been recognized by the global bio-pharmaceuticals industry. She was named one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare 2025" by TIME and nominated five times on Forbes China's lists, including the “100 Most Powerful Women in Business” (2023-2026) and the "Women in Tech" (2020), and has also been featured as a cover figure of Forbes China. She has additionally received several internationally acclaimed industry awards, such as 2025 Leader in Global Life Sciences and 2024 Best Biopharma CEOs - Most Scientifically Influential CEO by renowned media STAT, and was named among BioSpace's list of The 5 Most Powerful Women in Biopharma, where she was the only representative from a Chinese innovative pharmaceutical company. She was further honored with the Woman Leader of the Year jointly presented by BioCentury and BayHelix.