A Son's Promise: A Vow to Fight Cancer After His Father's Passing
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
A Son's Promise: A Vow to Fight Cancer After His Father's Passing｜Dr. Shen and the Mission Behind YD Bio
What kind of grief can drive a son to leave everything behind, return to the lab, and vow to find a cure for cancer?
Behind every entrepreneur or scientist lies a driving force that propels them forward. For Dr. Hsieh-Ts'ung Shen, Chairman and CEO of YD Bio Ltd, that force was born from a promise made in grief. In 2017, the passing of his father gave him an intimate understanding of the devastating power disease holds over a family—and in that sorrow, he made a vow: "I will find a way to cure cancer." This was not merely a son's promise; it became the guiding mission of everything he would build and discover thereafter.
In the wake of his father's death, Dr. Shen sought solace in Buddhist scriptures and found strength in his faith. He transformed grief into action and a vow into a life's purpose. He began to look back on his journey—from pharmacy owner to professional at an international pharmaceutical company to biotech startup entrepreneur—and saw each role as preparation for a responsibility he could no longer defer.
In 2018, he made the decision to return to the scientific frontier, enrolling in a doctoral program at Taipei Medical University in partnership with Academia Sinica. At 42, he entered the laboratory alongside classmates half his age, relearning techniques and conducting experiments with his own hands. At 43, he published an internationally recognized academic paper on cancer vaccines; at 44, he passed his doctoral qualifying examinations. These achievements demonstrated that he was not merely a player in capital markets, but a scientist genuinely fulfilling his promise through the power of research.
When COVID-19 emerged in 2020 and placed unprecedented strain on healthcare systems worldwide, Dr. Shen recognized with clarity that humanity would inevitably face more pandemic-scale challenges ahead. He introduced an immune cell therapy platform into JY BioMed, channeling his years of expertise in cancer immunology and cell-based therapies into a new line of defense for human health. His conviction was firm: immune cells represent humanity's true frontline against the infectious diseases of the future.
This sense of mission weaves together science, faith, and family love. For Dr. Shen, his father's passing was not only a personal loss—it became the most powerful force driving him to find answers. He carries that emotion into his company, into the laboratory, and into every conversation with investors and partners alike.
Years later, when YD Bio Ltd listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, that promise remained the cornerstone of his beliefs. He has consistently emphasized that the company's value lies not in financial figures alone, but in its ability to genuinely transform patients' lives. To investors, he is a leader with heart; to patients, he is a scientist willing to fight to the very end for the promises he has made.
"My father's passing gave rise to a vow I must fulfill. This is not simply a personal dream—it is the mission that drives my entire life," Dr. Shen has said. From sorrow to vision, from one man's grief to the future of all humanity, he has honored a son's promise through science and action.
About YD Bio Limited
YD Bio Ltd is a U.S.-anchored public biotechnology company building an integrated healthcare platform across regulated diagnostics, clinical services, and commercial healthcare markets. The Company operates DNA methylation–based oncology testing programs in the United States under an LDT-first strategy and provides compliant life science distribution and clinical trial supply chain services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. In addition, YD Bio Ltd maintains regulated ocular health commercialization operations and a consumer health distribution platform in Asia. Through strategic partnerships and scalable execution capabilities, the Company advances biomedical innovation with real-world clinical and commercial impact. For more information, visit ir.ydesgroup.com and follow the Company on Facebook, X, Threads, Instagram and LinkedIn.
