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SOMERSET, N.J., March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Harvest Integrated Research Organization (HiRO), a global contract research organization specializing in strategic planning for clinical development and cross‑border clinical trial solutions and services, concluded a successful presence at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
HiRO’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Karen Chu, was a featured speaker at RESI JPM, where she moderated a panel convening investors and strategics at the forefront of the cell and gene therapy revolution. Panelists Robert Balfour of ALSA Ventures and Bettina Ernst of BERNINA BioInvest highlighted the current momentum in cell and gene therapies, discussed how they assess technical and commercial risk, identified partnership models that accelerate progress, and outlined where capital is flowing in this rapidly advancing field.
Dr. Chu also led a workshop titled "Leveraging Asia: How to Navigate Asian VC Investment Mandates." The session opened with the 2026 industry outlook and key trends, then highlighted priority therapeutic areas. It explained the NewCo model and the criteria Asian venture capital firms use to evaluate global biotech assets, their co‑investment preferences, and expectations for commercialization. The workshop featured Asia‑based investors Dr. Alva Chen, Managing Director and Head of Therapeutics, VMS Group; Jayson Lee, Partner and Head of Healthcare Investing, LongRiver Investments; and Dr. Maomeng Tong, Principal, INCE Capital, who shared strategic insights for biotechs pursuing cross‑border capital or collaboration.
(Left to right): Dr. Maomeng Tong, Principal, INCE Capital; Jayson Lee, Partner and Head of Healthcare Investing, LongRiver Investments; Dr. Alva Chen, Managing Director and Head of Therapeutics, VMS Group; Dr. Karen Chu, Founder and CEO, HiRO.
"Asia’s steady capital recovery is fueling more diverse, higher-quality biotech deals. Investors are increasingly favoring more scalable, capital-efficient, innovative business models. One such emerging approach is the NewCo model, which combines equity participation with experienced management teams, leverages Asia’s efficient clinical speed and ecosystem partners to accelerate data generation, and enables program-level co-development. These elements de-risk global development in multiple ways, making the opportunities more attractive for international syndicates," said Dr. Alva Chen, Managing Director and Head of Therapeutics, VMS Group.
"Clinical development now spans multiple regions more than ever and requires an integrated strategy. HiRO’s cross‑border capabilities across APAC, the US, and Europe allow us to align regulatory strategy, site selection, and operational execution to bridge data across regions, accelerate timelines, and reduce redundant costs. By leveraging local expertise, regional cost advantages, and selective partnerships, we help biotech sponsors generate earlier, higher‑quality readouts and deploy capital more efficiently to advance financing and licensing goals," said Dr. Karen Chu, Founder and CEO of HiRO.
About Harvest Integrated Research Organization (HiRO)
Harvest Integrated Research Organization (HiRO) is a globally oriented, innovative clinical research organization. With global operations and integrated capabilities, HiRO provides a full range of cross-border solutions and services to its clients, including early pre-clinical strategic planning, clinical trial design, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, statistics, data management, end-to-end project management, and clinical and medical monitoring services.
As an emerging global CRO, HiRO strives to become a market-leading, integrated global clinical research organization that works collaboratively with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to bring new products from the laboratory to the market, providing more effective solutions for patients worldwide. For more information on HiRO, please visit www.harvestiro.com.
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