Polaris Pharmaceuticals announced today that Dr. Ya-Li Tsai has officially joined the company as Vice President of Gene Delivery Technology. Dr. Tsai possesses over 25 years of practical experience in pharmaceutical R&D, specializing in drug delivery technologies and manufacturing processes. Her expertise spans a broad range of drug types, including injectables, ophthalmic formulations, and topical dermatological products. She also brings extensive experience in developing specialized dosage forms such as liposomes, nanoemulsions, and suspension micelles.
Dr. Tsai previously served as a Research Scientist at Vical Inc. in the United States, where she led the development of drug delivery technologies utilizing cationic lipids for gene therapy applications. She subsequently worked as a Research Pharmacist at Abbott Laboratories in the U.S., responsible for the research, development, and production of injectable formulations and diagnostic contrast agents. Subsequently, he joined ISIS (IONIS) Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Research Scientist, developing oligonucleotide gene therapy injection and transdermal drug delivery technologies along with production processes. Later recruited by Pfizer, serving as Head of Drug Development and Senior Principal Scientist at the La Jolla site. He led product development, process technology, and manufacturing for injectables and ophthalmic products. Recognized for his extensive pharmaceutical R&D expertise, he joined Pfizer’s global due diligence team, evaluating the feasibility of product development and drug delivery technologies from Pfizer’s collaborative partners.
Dr. Tsai subsequently assumed the role of Vice President at Latitude Pharmaceuticals, where he managed and directed the company’s drug delivery and process technology R&D for injectables, including multiple complex injectable formulations.
Dr. Tsai graduated from the Department of Pharmacy at National Taiwan University and earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Southern California (USC). He holds a California Registered Pharmacist license and served as a visiting lecturer at the USC School of Pharmacy, teaching professional pharmacy courses for several years.