The Origin of JY BioMed: From a Pharmacy in Wanhua to Cell Therapy and Biotech Innovation

A story of biotech innovation began in a small pharmacy in Wanhua, Taipei.

In the waves of the biotechnology industry, some stories transcend science and commerce to become a symbol of a nation's journey onto the world stage. The life of Dr. Ethan Shen — Founder and Chairman of JY BioMed and Chairman & CEO of YD Bio Ltd — is exactly such a story. From the everyday rhythms of a pharmacy in Wanhua, Taipei, to the ringing of the Nasdaq bell in the United States, his journey is not only the struggle of one individual, but a living reflection of Taiwan's biotech innovation.

In 2008, Dr. Ethan Shen left the multinational pharmaceutical giant Novartis and opened a pharmacy in Wanhua, one of Taipei's oldest and most working-class neighborhoods — a district of ancient temples, bustling night markets, and patients with nowhere else to turn. He saw firsthand how many vulnerable people relied on that corner pharmacy just to get through the day. Yet even as he served them, a quiet conviction was taking shape. "If I spend my life running a pharmacy, I will never truly change a patient's fate." That thought became the seed of everything that followed — his turn toward biotech, toward research, and ultimately toward the global stage.

This realization did not happen overnight. It emerged gradually, through repeated encounters and familiar situations. As the same patterns continued to appear, a deeper question began to take shape: if healthcare can only go this far, is there a way to go further?

That question became the starting point of JY BioMed.

From the founding of YD Bio to the establishment of JY BioMed, we chose to focus on cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and cancer-related technologies. This was not simply a shift in business direction—it was a rethinking of what healthcare could become: moving from symptom management toward changing the course of disease.

The path is not easy, but it is grounded in a simple intention—to go beyond temporary relief and work toward meaningful change.

What began in Wanhua has since expanded into laboratories, clinical research, and global collaborations, as we continue to explore new possibilities in advanced therapeutics.

As seen in later stages of this journey, these beginnings have also contributed to bringing Taiwan’s biotech innovation onto the global stage .

Yet for JY BioMed, how far we go matters less than where we began.

Because the moments we have seen—and cannot forget—are what continue to move us forward.