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A former tech executive in China is fighting against time, refusing to let an incurable neurodegenerative disease halt his mission
Cai Lei, the 48-year-old former vice-president of e-commerce giant JD.com, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) seven years ago.
Even though Cai has reached an advanced stage where he cannot speak or move, he still clocks in 12-hour workdays using eye-tracking technology.
Now serving as the chairman of Beijing Aisikang Medical Technology, Cai poured his own wealth into accelerating drug development
He has donated more than 100 million yuan (RM65 million) to ALS research, set up four charitable funds, and established several laboratories.
His dedicated team has built a massive research data platform, which reportedly accelerated drug development timelines by 20 times.
Cai is currently managing over 300 drug development programmes, one of which recently yielded a significant clinical breakthrough
A newly developed drug called RAG-17 showed positive results, helping one trial patient regain strength in his arm.
Refusing to give up, Cai shared his perspective.
"In the darkest night, faith is the first thing that must not be shaken," he said, according to the South China Morning Post.
