Zhong Huijuan

Former middle school chemistry teacher Zhong Huijuan founded Hansoh Pharmaceutical in 1995 and listed it in Hong Kong in 2019. As chair and CEO, she has shifted Hansoh toward new drugs, now 82% of revenue. She's also Asia's richest self-made women, worth $23 billion, according to the Hurun Research Institute. Big Pharma keeps paying for access: after deals with Roche and Regeneron, Hansoh licensed an experimental psoriasis pill to Avere Therapeutics in July for up to $2.3 billion. Its pipeline keeps producing results, including positive late-stage trials in lung cancer and psoriasis.