Zhiguo Jake Song
About Zhiguo Jake Song
Zhiguo Jake Song is an Executive Director at Arcus Biosciences, where he has worked since 2021. He has extensive experience in pharmaceutical chemistry, having held various positions at Merck for nearly three decades, contributing to the development of several significant medicines.
Current Role at Arcus Biosciences
Zhiguo Jake Song serves as the Executive Director at Arcus Biosciences, a position he has held since 2021. In this role, he leads the Small Molecule Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing team. His responsibilities include overseeing the development and manufacturing processes of small molecule drugs, ensuring alignment with industry standards and regulatory requirements. His tenure at Arcus Biosciences has been marked by a focus on advancing the company's drug development pipeline.
Previous Experience at Merck
Jake Song has extensive experience at Merck, where he worked for nearly three decades in various roles. He began as a Sr. Research Chemist and progressed through several positions, including Sr. Investigator and Principal Scientist. His contributions included the chemical process development of significant Merck medicines such as Vaniprevir, Grazoprevir, Emend, Letermovir, and Ubrelvy. He also led the External Discovery Process Chemistry team and managed the Reaction Engineering Lab, demonstrating his leadership in chemical process development and commercialization.
Education and Expertise
Jake Song earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Nankai University, where he studied from 1979 to 1983. He later pursued a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, completing his studies from 1984 to 1990. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his expertise in chemical process development, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry.
GMP Compliance and Manufacturing Experience
Jake Song has significant experience in GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliance, having worked in environments that require strict adherence to regulatory standards. He has nearly a decade of experience leading GMP manufacturing of various Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs). His role involved managing multiple projects and overseeing a large number of full-time equivalents (FTEs), ensuring efficient and compliant manufacturing processes.
Analytical Chemistry Proficiency
Jake Song is highly proficient in various analytical chemistry techniques that are essential for chemical process development. His expertise includes methods such as NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography), GC (Gas Chromatography), LCMS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry), ReactIR, DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), and XRPD (X-Ray Powder Diffraction). These skills enable him to effectively analyze and optimize chemical processes in pharmaceutical development.