Helen Chen

Global Sector Co-Head, Healthcare and Life Sciences
Greater China Managing Partner
L.E.K. Consulting

Helen Chen is Global Sector Co-Head for Healthcare and a Greater China Managing Partner of L.E.K. Consulting based in Shanghai. Helen was named one of Consulting magazine’s Global Leaders in Consulting in 2019 and has over 30 years of consulting and industry experience in the U.S. and Asia markets and has lived in China since 2000.
She helps companies expand their presence in China and Asia, and leverages Asia’s innovation to improve their global businesses. For companies anchored in China, Helen advises on their drive to innovation and globalization. Helen is a frequent speaker and author on the opportunities and issues in China’s healthcare and life sciences sectors. Her expert commentary has appeared in Bloomberg, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Asia and the South China Morning Post, and in several industry publications, including BioCentury, In Vivo, Script and BioWorld.
Helen was a member of L.E.K.’s Global Leadership Team from 2012 to 2016. She is also a Director of the firm’s Asia-Pacific Life Sciences Centre of Excellence.  Prior to joining L.E.K., Helen was an associate director of finance at Genentech (now Roche) and a sales planner at Abbott Laboratories (now Abbvie). Helen has an honors B.A. degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University.

Speech title & Synopsis

Creating a vibrant ecosystem for precision medicine in Asia Pacific

The use of biomarkers to improve the efficiency of clinical trial activity has expanded rapidly, now comprising over 70% of new clinical trial starts.  Meanwhile, the use of more advance precision medicine across the clinical landscape is still developing.
 
Creating a vibrant ecosystem for precision medicine requires the involvement of stakeholders across the healthcare value chain.  Activity to date across Asia Pacific has largely been driven by government initiatives. 
 
Delivering successful use of precision medicine at scale across Asia Pacific will rely on adequately addressing the complexity of the environment, the differing roles of the participants, the speed of the technology change, and understanding the costs and benefits of precision medicine.