Derek Yuan

Partner at Venrock

Speaker

Derek is a Partner at Venrock, where he focuses on creating value by connecting the dots in global therapeutics. He most recently served as China General Manager for Candid Therapeutics, the leading T-cell engager company for autoimmune disease, where China was central to both clinical development and core asset origination — Candid was acquired by UCB in June 2026 for $2B upfront plus $200M in milestones. He has independently orchestrated several major US-China biotech deals, including WuXi Biologics' ADC portfolio licensing to Aadi Bioscience (now Whitehawk) alongside a concurrent $100M PIPE, and a trispecific T-cell engager deal with Candid Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, he drove US-China partnerships and helped establish Zai Lab's US presence in Corporate Development, managed global biotechnology equities at QUAD, worked as a sell-side research associate at UBS, and led business development at PharmaEssentia through its transition from clinical- to commercial-stage. Across these roles, he has built deep cross-border expertise spanning sell-side, buy-side, business development, and operational leadership. In total, he has played an instrumental role in raising over $1.5B in institutional capital across both sides of the Pacific.