San Diego, CA – Rakuten Medical, Inc., a global biotechnology company developing and commercializing Alluminox™ platform-based photoimmunotherapy, today announced that Andrew Liu has joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Rakuten Medical, as its lean, highly agile team recently initiated a global Phase 3 clinical trial in the United States and Taiwan, while continuing to expand commercial operations in Japan.
As CFO, Liu will oversee all aspects of Rakuten Medical’s financial strategy, planning, accounting, and investor relations, further strengthening the Company’s business and financial foundation to support long-term growth.
“We are entering a transformative phase as we accelerate global clinical and commercial expansion,” said Mickey Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten Medical. “Andrew’s deep experience in biotech and his strong track record in strategic and financial planning, private equity, and investment banking make him the ideal leader to guide our global financial strategy during this critical period of growth.”
At investment bank J.P. Morgan and several private equity funds, Andrew spearheaded numerous successful projects in fundraising, M&A, and investments. At Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Chengdu Kanghong Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., and SanBio Inc., a cell therapy biotech company, he was responsible for business development, corporate planning, and product portfolio strategy—creating corporate value by leading pipeline out-licensing and in-licensing, business acquisitions, investments in biotech startups, and business reorganizations. Most recently, he served as a senior advisor for business alliances to Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the top cancer treatment and research centers in the U.S. He also acted as a senior advisor to Virogen Biotech, a startup developing a novel fusion protein with a wide range of applications, including in cancer treatment.
“Rakuten Medical’s strong commitment to its mission of conquering cancer, and its mission-driven team, is something I’m already proud to be part of,” said Liu. “The company’s pioneering technology, the Alluminox™ platform, has the potential to transform cancer treatment, and the promising clinical and real-world data already reflect its impact. I look forward to working with the talented team and contributing to our continued growth and progress toward conquering cancer.”
Born and raised in Tainan, Taiwan, Liu holds an M.A. in Regional Studies–East Asia from Harvard University and a B.A. with High Honors in Biochemistry from Swarthmore College. He was also a Harvard-Yenching Institute Exchange Scholar at Beijing University. Based in Japan, he is fluent in Chinese, English, and Japanese. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, music, and calligraphy.
