BeyondSpring names new CEO as founder transitions to chairman role

BeyondSpring Inc. (NASDAQ: BYSI) announced a leadership transition effective July 1, 2026, with founder Dr. Lan Huang moving from CEO to Chairman while maintaining her role as CEO of SEED Therapeutics.

Min Qiu will become CEO with a mandate to execute the company's DUBLIN-4 confirmatory Phase 3 trial for Plinabulin in non-small cell lung cancer. Na Li was appointed Chief Financial Officer, and current director Dr. Jiangwen Majeti was named Vice Chairman.

The DUBLIN-4 trial will enroll 442 patients testing Plinabulin combined with docetaxel in non-squamous EGFR wild-type NSCLC patients who progressed on immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. The study builds on DUBLIN-3 Phase 3 results published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine showing the combination doubled two- and three-year survival rates compared to docetaxel alone.

Plinabulin is a GEF-H1 agonist with patent protection extending through 2036, with potential extension to 2041 under the Hatch-Waxman Act upon FDA approval. The drug has been tested in over 700 cancer patients across multiple clinical programs.

Qiu previously led a 1.3 billion yuan licensing collaboration with Hengrui Pharma and has been involved in BeyondSpring's corporate development for five years. He holds degrees from the University of Tokyo and has experience in the China-Japan pharmaceutical sector.

Li brings over two decades of finance leadership and has served as CFO of Dalian Wanchunbulin Pharmaceutical since November 2020. She holds various financial certifications and has experience with Shanghai Stock Exchange listed companies.

BeyondSpring retains an equity stake in SEED Therapeutics, which is developing targeted protein degradation technology with partners including Eli Lilly and Eisai. The leadership structure aims to provide dedicated management for each company's current development stage.

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