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Editor’s Note: “Every drug can be made and every disease can be treated.” Since 2000, from a single laboratory to a global network spanning Asia, Europe, and North America; from early chemical synthesis services to an integrated platform that connects Research (R), Development (D), and Manufacturing (M); from its very first customer to thousands of partners across more than 30 countries, WuXi AppTec has never stopped moving forward to realize its enduring vision. 

In tribute to the journey, we look back through the eyes of our “dream-makers”: revisiting the stories of partnership that empowered global innovation, and the unique spirit that continues to guide us toward the next chapter.

At dawn, when Cambridge is still quiet, Dr. Dave Madge is already at his desk, looking over a client’s research proposal. The molecule is brand new, the idea behind it is bold, and the deadline is close. For him, mornings like this are nothing new: they mix science, strategy, and the excitement of discovery.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how an idea in a lab becomes a medicine that helps people,” he says. “That journey, from discovery to treatment, is what keeps me going.”

As Vice President of Discovery Services at WuXi AppTec, Dave’s group helps scientists test ideas, confirm targets, and turn promising research into potential new drugs. He describes his role as “building bridges between ideas and results,” connecting Europe’s vibrant research community with one of the world’s most integrated CRDMO platforms.

From Scientist to Enabler

Dave’s career has followed a clear path. After earning his Ph.D. from Imperial College London, he built his work around strong science. He ran research labs, co-founded a discovery company, and moved from academia into biotech leadership. “I’ve always been interested in how we turn early scientific discoveries into real strategies for developing new medicines,” he says.

Before joining WuXi AppTec in 2013, Dave already knew the company well. “I’d seen how WuXi AppTec’s teams approached science with both speed and care,” he recalls. That experience made joining a natural step. Twelve years later, he now leads the kinds of partnerships he once looked for himself, helping transform scientific ideas into real progress.

When meeting new clients, one word he often uses is “efficiency.” “Our services cover a wide range, and we often bring several capabilities together in a single collaboration,” Dave explains. This allows clients to move quickly without getting slowed down by complex paperwork. “In many cases, we’re already running studies just a few weeks, or even a few days, after our first conversation,” he adds. “Many clients tell us they find that speed incredible.”

That speed depends on teamwork across the globe. A company in the UK might design a molecule, or select a molecule for testing, while WuXi AppTec’s teams across continents synthesize the compound, or run laboratory tests, during the day and the initial results are ready to share the next morning. “That’s what we call WuXi Speed, bringing together scientists, tools, and systems so everything moves forward smoothly.” Dave says.

He recalls one British startup that needed quick results to secure its next round of funding. They had just weeks to gather key results for a new disease area. WuXi AppTec’s teams across several countries worked together, ran tests at the same time, and delivered what was needed in only a week. After securing its funding round, “The company told us we helped keep them alive,” Dave says. “That’s when you see the true impact of what we do.”

Trust, Translated into Collaboration

For Dave, speed and trust always go together. “Earning a client’s trust isn’t about selling a service,” he says. “It’s about sharing responsibility. When we design experiments together, review results together, and celebrate breakthroughs together — that’s when real partnership happens.”

This collaboration is especially important for small startups. Over the past decade, Dave has seen early-stage drug discovery led more and more by emerging biotech companies. “Many of these clients are experts in one specific area, like biology or chemistry,” he explains. “But they rely on us to provide the wider support they need to turn their ideas into real progress.” His team often helps these clients by running discovery chemistry, biology, and DMPK studies in parallel, making the process faster and more efficient.

That partnership, he adds, often lasts far beyond a single project. “Sometimes our clients leave to start a new company and then come back to work with us again. That shows we’re not just part of one program, we’re part of their journey.”

Today, many clients have worked with WuXi AppTec for over twenty years. Watching those relationships grow is one of the most rewarding parts of Dave’s work. “Some started with simple scientific discussions, then moved into discovery programs, and later advanced into development and even clinical studies,” he says. “Being part of that full journey, from an idea to something that helps patients, is an incredible privilege.”

He recalls one client in Cambridge whose project began as an academic study in oncology. That idea grew into a startup, and WuXi AppTec continued to support them as they progressed through every stage of discovery and development. “We stayed with them the whole way. Different teams across WuXi AppTec worked together to keep things moving smoothly, from the lab bench to clinical studies.”

For Dave, this kind of long-term partnership, built on trust and shared success, is what truly defines their work. “Seeing that progress firsthand, and knowing we’ve played a part in it, is deeply satisfying,” he says.

Europe’s Moment

For small biotech companies — the heart of Europe’s innovation scene — steady support can make all the difference. Many of these young companies have only a few employees and limited funding. “They come to us not just for services, but for solutions,” Dave says. “They want partners who can reduce the risks in their science, help them meet investor goals, and make clear decisions quickly.”

Over the years, his team has worked with hundreds of such clients, some of whom return again and again as they move to new companies. “It’s common for a scientist I worked with years ago to call me from their new job and say, ‘Dave, can you help us again?’ That ongoing trust is one of our proudest achievements.”

Dave feels positive about the future of Europe’s life sciences because he can see the change happening now. “Five years ago, you could probably name ten main biotech centers in Europe,” he says. “Now there are many more established and emerging biotech hubs in Europe as the quality of the basic science performed, and the scope for its translation into new treatments efficiently, is becoming better recognized.”

He credits this growth to local governments and investors who now see biotech as both a source of innovation and a driver of the economy. “Across Europe, we’re seeing new incubators, research funding, and stronger links between universities and industry,” he explains. “WuXi AppTec is excited to be part of that change, helping these hubs turn great science into real medicines.”

Dave often meets venture investors at events such as WuXi Nights in Gothenburg during the recent Nordic Life Sciences event, and in Vienna during BioEurope, where scientists, entrepreneurs, and funders share ideas. “Venture capital brings structure and focus to discovery,” he says. “They understand how to measure risk and plan studies that answer critical questions early. By working closely with such entrepreneurs, we help their portfolio companies reach key milestones faster and more efficiently.”

Excitement Never Stops

Asked what WuXi AppTec’s mission — Every drug can be made, and every disease can be treated — means to him, Dave pauses. “To me, it’s a promise between science and society,” he says. “Science keeps revealing new ways to understand disease. Our job is to remove the barriers that prevent those discoveries from becoming therapies.”

Looking ahead, he sees an even more connected ecosystem, where ideas can travel faster from lab bench to patient bedside. “The next 25 years will bring more modalities, more precision, and more collaboration,” he predicts. “Our role will be to keep enabling that, to make translation faster, smarter, and more global.”

“The excitement,” he says with a smile, “never really stops.”