# Yongqi Deng

> Yongqi Deng is a medicinal chemist and the founder and CEO of Keythera Pharmaceuticals. After training at Peking University, Michigan State University, and MIT, he spent more than two decades at Schering-Plough and Merck before founding Keythera in 2018. The Suzhou clinical-stage biotechnology company applies affinity-detection mass spectrometry to small-molecule discovery and is advancing a pipeline led by the EP4 antagonist KF-0210.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Keythera Pharmaceuticals
- **Organizations:** Keythera Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Schering-Plough, Newton Chinese Language School
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree and master's degree, Peking University, PhD, Michigan State University, Postdoctoral research, Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Founded Keythera Pharmaceuticals in 2018., Authored or coauthored 30 academic papers cited more than 2,000 times, according to his company biography., Named as an inventor on 32 granted patents, according to his company biography.

## Career timeline

- **1997-1999** — Completed postdoctoral research in chemistry at MIT.
- **1999-2018** — Worked for more than two decades in drug research and development at Schering-Plough and Merck.
- **2011-2012** — Served as principal of Newton Chinese Language School.
- **2013-2016** — Served as chair of the board of Newton Chinese Language School.
- **2018** — Returned to China and founded Keythera Pharmaceuticals in Shenzhen.
- **2020-05** — Moved Keythera to Suzhou.
- **2020-09** — Keythera announced a Series A financing of nearly RMB 100 million.
- **2021-03** — Keythera announced the first participant dosed in the Phase 1 KF-0210 study and an RMB 100 million A+ financing.
- **2023-04** — Coauthored an AACR abstract on the discovery of KF-0210.
- **2026-04** — Presented Keythera's KF-0210 exploratory Phase 2a results at the OARSI World Congress.

## Achievements

- Founded Keythera Pharmaceuticals in 2018.
- Authored or coauthored 30 academic papers cited more than 2,000 times, according to his company biography.
- Named as an inventor on 32 granted patents, according to his company biography.
- Helped develop Keythera's ADMS affinity-based high-throughput screening platform.
- Coauthored the 2026 OARSI highest-rated late-breaking abstract on KF-0210 exploratory Phase 2a results.
- Served as principal and later board chair of Newton Chinese Language School.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Presented exploratory Phase 2a KF-0210 findings at the OARSI World Congress; the abstract received highest-rated late-breaking recognition.
- **2026-02** — Keythera announced that its KF-0210 Phase 2a study had been selected for OARSI 2026's high-rated late-breaking program.
- **2025-12** — Keythera reported exploratory clinical progress for KF-0210 in osteoarthritis.
- **2025-03** — A U.S. patent naming Deng and Jian Sun as inventors on a PGE2/EP4 signaling compound was granted.

## Links

- Website: https://keytherapharma.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yongqi-deng-a4957312

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/yongqi-deng
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Last updated: 2026-08-26