Category: 3. Business

Looking ahead, the US-Korea trade agreement reached on 29 October is expected to alleviate pressure on auto exports. Furthermore, easing trade tensions between the US and China would likely have a positive impact on Korean exports. Chipmakers have provided robust forward guidance for their 2026 performance, with major firms having already filled their order books for that year and anticipating sustained strength in memory prices. Vessel exports are expected to remain robust based on the high volume of orders taken over the past 2–3 years. Thus, we believe exports will rise modestly in 2026 despite an anticipated slowdown in US demand.

Including October trade outcomes, recent data suggest another solid quarter of growth. Despite reduced government cash handouts, positive consumer sentiment and strong equities are expected to support private consumption, while exports and equipment investment are expected to remain steady. Thus, we maintain a 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, seasonally-adjusted, growth outlook for the fourth quarter 1.2% YoY for 2025. As such, we have raised our 2026 GDP outlook from 1.8% to 2.0% based on a more optimistic outlook for exports and domestic demand.

With growth conditions improving and inflation staying around 2%, the Bank of Korea’s focus should remain on financial market instability. Housing prices are expected to stabilise for a couple of quarters while the negative GDP gap still persists. Thus, this could justify the BoK’s 25 bp cut in the first half of 2026. However, 2.25% should be the terminal rate for this easing cycle. Lower interest rates could have implications for the housing market, which should be a major concern for the BoK. Additionally, the BoK considers 2.25% to be the lower bound of the neutral interest rate. Additionally, normalisation of growth in the second half of 2026 could support the conclusion of the easing cycle.

Detalimogene voraplasmid (formerly EG-70) in an investigational non-viral gene therapy for patients with high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The agent is currently being assessed in the phase 2 LEGEND trial (NCT04752722), which includes a pivotal cohort in patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with carcinoma in situ (CIS), with or without concomitant papillary disease.

As new agents such as nadofaragene firadenovec (Adstiladrin), nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln (Anktiva), and the gemcitabine intravesical system (Inlexzo; formerly TAR-200) have joined the treatment landscape, options for patients with BCG-unresponsive disease have expanded considerably. There are even more agents in development, including detalimogene, which are poised to further reshape management in this space. Yet questions remain around how to best select and sequence these therapies as well as the long-term implications of bladder-sparing approaches, according to Yair Lotan, MD.

In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Lotan discussed how new agents such as detalimogene may fit into this evolving treatment landscape and highlighted the ongoing need for longer-term data and biomarkers to guide treatment selection. He also emphasized the importance of cost considerations, in addition to safety and efficacy, as these new agents come to market.

Lotan is the chief of urologic oncology and a professor of urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

Urology Times: Detalimogene voraplasmid is currently being explored in the LEGEND trial. How is this trial designed? What have interim data from the study shown so far?

Lotan: This trial includes various cohorts. There is the pivotal cohort, which [includes] patients with BCG-unresponsive non–muscle invasive bladder cancer with CIS with or without papillary disease. They have some additional cohorts in patients who are BCG-naïve or BCG-exposed.

The pivotal cohort is similar to many of the other drugs that have used the single-arm pathway that the FDA has provided for approval of these agents in patients with CIS. The benefit from a development standpoint is that, since there is no gold standard for patients with BCG-unresponsive disease, drugs can be evaluated for their complete response and durability of response without being randomized to several different agents. Placebo doesn’t make sense in this setting [because] these patients have aggressive disease. So, the cohort is just including patients with unresponsive CIS, and [patients are] monitored every 3 months to look for response.

The cohort so far has included 21 patients. [This is] a fairly typical population, with a median age of 74 [years] and mostly men. [Overall,] 71% of the patients had CIS alone, and about a third had Ta or T1 with CIS. The CR rate at 3 months is 67%, and any time CR rate is 71%,¹ so quite favorable. There were very few treatment-related adverse events, and no grade 3 toxicity so far. The cohort has already accrued 100 patients, so hopefully sometime next year we’ll have more mature data for the entire cohort of patients.

Urology Times: This study includes the pivotal cohort, as you mentioned, in high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, a disease space that’s seen rapid growth over the past couple of years. How do you see this agent fitting into the current treatment landscape, if approved?

Lotan: There are several aspects that people are looking for. There’s obviously efficacy. If it maintains somewhere around 70% CR any time, it would be certainly comparable to many of the other approved treatments. There is some benefit in the sense that it’s easy to administer; it’s only 4 treatments that are intravesical. The drug is well-tolerated. There are no grade 3 toxicities. From that standpoint, it has a very favorable profile, and it’s relatively convenient. It’s also easy to store, so it’s not something that would be challenging for urologists to obtain and administer.

Other aspects that we have to wait and see are going to be how favorable it is in terms of cost and some of the other logistical aspects. Overall, if it has good efficacy and very good tolerability, I think it should definitely be considered among the available treatments for patients with BCG-unresponsive CIS.

Urology Times: What role do you foresee for gene therapy in the treatment landscape moving forward?

Lotan: There are various ways of looking at gene therapy. If you look at a drug like Adstiladrin, that is a virus that’s been modified to stimulate interferon production, and so it’s a form of gene therapy. In general, having a plasmid or a viral delivery system makes sense. Looking at other drugs, Anktiva is an IL-15 stimulant, and detalimogene has IL-12 stimulation, plus RIG-1. Even a viral drug like cretostimogene stimulates the immune system and has an oncolytic component. So, a lot of these drugs are focused on simulating the immune system, but I think the real question is going to be, what pathways does it make sense to stimulate? Is there a better approach or is there another approach to stimulate the immune system?

Companies have become much more sophisticated in terms of how to stimulate the immune system. The question is what parts of the immune system would lead to the most efficacious results, especially considering the fact that BCG is also a very good immune treatment. We’re taking patients where BCG was insufficient to get the immune system to control the disease. So, what other pathways would make sense to stimulate in a patient where BCG, which is a non-specific immune stimulant, didn’t work?

Urology Times: How else do you see the therapeutic landscape for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC evolving over the next several years?

Lotan: We’ve had so many changes since pembrolizumab was approved about 3 to 4 years ago. Then we had Adstiladrin, then Anktiva, and very recently, TAR-200. [There are others coming,] such as cretostimogene and detalimogene. There are also several other drugs in development such as NDV-01, which is sustained release of gem/doce, and TARA-200. There are a lot of potential new agents.

One of the things that we need to consider is that we don’t really have biomarkers to personalize the treatments. How do we select among these drugs? How do we sequence these drugs? When is it too much? When we should do a cystectomy, when the risk of progression might increase? These are all challenges that we face, because patients will have a number of choices. We don’t have very good data, other than the efficacy and safety data right now, to personalize the treatment. I’m hopeful that we can develop some biomarkers, or maybe AI tools, that will help us select patients.

We also need better data on what the natural history might be in terms of how safe it is to continue to do bladder-sparing approaches. Ultimately, removing the bladder is the best way to prevent a cancer from recurring in the bladder. We do know that some patients do progress on these drugs, and that those patients will potentially have worse outcomes.

Urology Times: Is there anything else that you wanted to add?

Lotan: I think one of the big issues for patients is accessibility. There is going to be a cost component that is going to affect patients’ ability to get [these drugs.] Many of these drugs do have early access programs, which is great, but the costs are pretty significant. If patients have co-pays, they may not be able to afford these treatments.

We’ve made tremendous advances in being able to offer new drugs. Ten years ago, removal of bladder was the main option for patients who didn’t respond to BCG. The only other drug was valrubicin, which was not effective in most patients and had very poor durability. Now that we have a lot of drugs, being able to give them to the patients is going to be a high priority. Figuring out how to make it affordable for patients is going to be important.

REFERENCE

1. Taylor III JA, Joshi S, Satkunasivam R, et al. Preliminary results from LEGEND: A phase 2 study of detalimogene voraplasmid (EG-70), a novel, non-viral intravesical gene therapy for patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS). J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 5). doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.5_suppl.802. https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.5_suppl.802

The global AI market could reach $4.8 trillion by 2033, meaning companies like OpenAI and Microsoft stand to rake in hefty profits.

Some people are already cashing in on the increasingly ubiquitous tech, including 17-year-old Samik Sidhu of Virginia. While running two businesses — an Etsy apparel shop and a for-profit networking community — in 2024, he began investing the profits from those ventures in stocks of tech companies.

“Rather than having my money sit in an account, it was able to work for me,” Sidhu said.

Sidhu earned $37,400 by selling graphic T-shirts and other items through his Etsy shop, while the networking community amassed around $28,000. After investing around $53,100 across four companies — Nvidia, AMD, C3.ai, and SMCI — between February and May 2024, Sidhu managed to earn about $72,700. Business Insider verified the related documents.

Sidhu told Business Insider that he had a “good feeling” about investing in companies that were involved in the AI industry.

“I caught the AI wave at the perfect time,” Sidhu said.

Although Sidhu said he wasn’t “super big” into AI, incorporating the technology into his former e-commerce business operations helped boost efficiency.

“AI helped me with branding, naming my stores, logos, color themes, niches, demographics, all that stuff,” Sidhu said. “I had confidence that over time it would only get better and better. I have literally seen the progression of AI since 2020.”

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Demand for AI technology has increased over the years, but it received a significant boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses sought to streamline operations amid shrinking budgets and remote workforces. The general public became more familiar with AI through OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot powered by a large language model. Since then, Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google have been racing to lead the industry.

Sidhu said he has since expanded his portfolio to include companies featured in the S&P 500, such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

Finding the right niche

Sidhu told Business Insider that seeing other young folks find success through e-commerce businesses sparked his entrepreneurial spirit. Since 2022, he said he has pursued various ventures, including dropshipping, flipping clothes, social media theme pages, and a print-on-demand service.

Obstacles, such as low sales or high fulfillment costs, prompted him to shutter those businesses, forcing him to reassess his approach.

“I went from business model to business model and had doubts like, ‘Oh, am I just too optimistic?’ But then again, I told myself I’ll get learning experience out of it,” Sidhu said. “I might not make money right now, but with the skills that I’m building up over my first few business ventures, one day I guarantee they’ll come in use.”

That turned out to be true in early 2024, when he set his sights on Etsy. Unlike social media, where algorithms can be tricky to read and attracting customers may feel unpredictable, Sidhu believed Etsy held promise.

“I saw it as a platform with built-in traffic and potential organic traffic, so I started uploading listings slowly,” he said.

Sidhu launched his apparel shop in January, but closed it down in May.

“Most of my customers were happy, but the occasional customer would not receive their order or experience delayed shipping,” he said. “I didn’t really want to deal with that.”

Around that same time, in March 2024, Sidhu decided to try digital products. He said he used Signal, the encrypted messaging app, to create a networking community.

“I built a private paid Signal community where I taught teens and young adults how to get started with e-commerce,” Sidhu said. “The main focus of the community was print on demand, and how to research niches, set up stores, learn from competitors, design, and fulfill products on platforms like Shopify.”

For example, people could purchase an e-book with advice and tips for $50, or enlist Sidhu’s help in developing their company’s branding for $150. Sales for his digital products peaked in April before slowing down in May, prompting him to close the group soon after.

Always stay consistent

Being a young entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges, such as juggling school and business or not being old enough to access certain accounts. Sidhu said the key to success is finding stability within those challenges.

“The biggest tip I would say is to pick one thing and stay consistent with it. Stay dedicated, stay disciplined, and have a schedule for it,” Sidhu said. “If you’re diving into a new business venture, know exactly what you need to get done. Know your timelines. Be strict with yourself about those timelines.”

Being persistent is also key.

“You’re going to have to adapt to a lot of different challenges that come up, and there’s always competition out there,” Sidhu said.”There’s always someone who has 10 times the amount of experience you do, who’s double your age, and has been doing it for most of their life. You need to stay consistent. Otherwise, you don’t stand a chance.”

• Vertiv recently announced its gigawatt-scale reference architectures for the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint, enabling faster and more flexible AI factory deployments across platforms such as NVIDIA Vera Rubin, and offering solutions like prefabricated, hybrid, and traditional data center builds.

• This collaboration features extensive integration of Vertiv’s advanced liquid cooling, power management, and digital twin capabilities, establishing the company as a core enabler of next-generation generative AI infrastructure expansion.

• We’ll now examine how Vertiv’s AI infrastructure partnership and innovation could reshape its growth and competitive outlook going forward.

Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value.

Owning Vertiv Holdings Co means believing in sustained demand for AI-optimized data centers and the company’s ability to deliver integrated power and cooling solutions at scale. The latest NVIDIA-related product launch reinforces Vertiv’s role as an AI infrastructure enabler, likely supporting near-term demand momentum, the main catalyst for the stock, while direct competition and margin pressures from supply chain disruptions remain the primary short-term risks to watch; the overall impact of this announcement on those risks appears limited.

The recent Q3 2025 earnings report stands out, underscoring the same strong AI-driven demand seen in the NVIDIA partnership update. The company’s robust 29% revenue growth and raised full-year sales guidance tie directly into expectations for rapid AI data center expansion, providing useful context for how product innovation and execution remain critical for converting demand into financial results.

However, it is just as important to recognize that, in contrast, margin expansion is still at risk if supply chain and cost inefficiencies persist…

Read the full narrative on Vertiv Holdings Co (it’s free!)

Vertiv Holdings Co’s narrative projects $13.9 billion revenue and $2.3 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 15.2% yearly revenue growth and an increase in earnings of approximately $1.5 billion from the current $812.3 million.

Uncover how Vertiv Holdings Co’s forecasts yield a $173.11 fair value, a 10% downside to its current price.

Simply Wall St Community members estimate Vertiv’s fair value between US$123.78 and US$177.94, with 12 individual views represented. This diversity comes as global demand for AI data centers accelerates, but execution and competitive pressure could shape very different outcomes, review their opinions to see every angle.

Explore 12 other fair value estimates on Vertiv Holdings Co – why the stock might be worth 36% less than the current price!

Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes – extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

Right now could be the best entry point. These picks are fresh from our daily scans. Don’t delay:

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include VRT.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

After two intense months of back-to-back tests during China’s “Golden September and Silver October” retail peak, local fashion players are redefining how to balance globalization and localization, narrative and conversion.

The End of the Scale Myth

For much of the past decade, China’s apparel industry has been dominated by a “scale-first” mentality. Speed was the weapon; size, the defense. Brands raced to expand through new stores and soaring stock keeping units — using quantity as the main measure of success.

That strategy worked in an era of rapid economic growth. But as China’s market matures and competition shifts from expansion to retention, the marginal benefits of scale have sharply declined. Digitalization has also transformed the landscape: in an age of endless scrolling and information overload, attention has become the rarest currency.

To hold that attention — and convert it — brands have moved beyond pure product play, embracing aesthetics, culture, and ideology. Fashion weeks have emerged as the ultimate stage for that expression: a place where high-end image building meets global dialogue. Yet once the applause fades, brands must return to the commercial frontlines — livestream rooms, social commerce platforms, and Singles’ Day.

This season, many of China’s rising stars did exactly that — flying from Paris back to Shanghai overnight, shifting seamlessly from runway storytelling to retail strategy.

Oriental Narratives on the Global Stage

As Chinese brands evolve from chasing scale to shaping meaning, global fashion weeks have become essential to building emotional resonance. But unlike in the past, Chinese designers are no longer just seeking validation abroad — they’re creating cultural conversations that speak to global and local audiences.

Icicle returned to Paris with its spring 2026 Artisan Series, themed “Beyond the Window.” Through fluid fabrics, natural textures, and hues inspired by China’s traditional five-color philosophy, the collection explored the balance between transparency and freedom — a continuation of the brand’s humanist and ecological roots.

A look from Icicle’s spring 2026 collection.

SongMont, the first Chinese luggage label to exhibit at Paris Fashion Week for two consecutive years, translated the spirit of China’s Central Plains into a multisensory experience. Its “Song of Mont” exhibition incorporated heritage stone carvings, architectural silhouettes, and Silk Road-inspired design details — a dialogue between ancient craftsmanship and contemporary form.

For Keigan, founded by a team that includes an architect, the goal was to redefine what a fashion brand can represent. Its Keigan Genius Salon revived the intimate cross-disciplinary gatherings of 18th-century Europe — bringing together designers, artists and cultural figures to explore the intersection of fashion, architecture and art. Following its Paris debut, Keigan opened its first flagship store in a historic building on Shanghai’s West Nanjing Road, symbolizing its commitment to aesthetic co-creation.

Meanwhile, Chicjoc, through the WWD China Select program, bridged global and Chinese creativity in Milan with “Heritage Next: Glowing Milano.” The exhibition, part of Milan Fashion Week’s official calendar, connected emerging international designers with Chinese retail expertise and consumer insights — transforming cultural exchange into commercial opportunity.

Together, these initiatives revealed a shared ambition: to merge cultural identity with international relevance, and to convert global visibility into sustainable growth back home.

Singles’ Day: From Cultural Symbols to Consumption Power

As the spotlights of global fashion weeks dimmed, a different kind of spotlight came on in China: Singles’ Day. For many brands, it was the next major test of their ability to turn storytelling into sales.

The 2025 Singles’ Day presale began Oct. 15, with down payments starting Oct. 21. Within hours, domestic players dominated key categories. On Tmall, two brands under Anta Group took the top two positions in sports and outdoor sales, surpassing long-time leader Nike. In beauty, Chinese brands such as Chando, Proya and Maogepingalso continued their upward trajectory, outpacing many international names.

For fashion brands returning from global stages, Singles’ Day was more than a shopping festival — it was a test of monetizing cultural momentum. Chicjoc, for example, built on last year’s success, where its live show with Taobao Apparel generated more than 64.2 million yuan (about $9 million) in a single day. This year, the brand partnered again with Taobao Apparel to host the 2.0 Super Fashion Launch, featuring emerging Danish designers Freya Dalsjø and Bonnetje, both part of the WWD China Select program.

Bonnetje founders Anna Myntekær (left) and Yoko Maja Hansen (right).

A New Playbook: From Aesthetics to Conversion

In an era where aesthetics are the ultimate differentiator, brands can no longer rely solely on price or speed. The new formula is a closed loop of aesthetics — engagement — conversion.

Cultural storytelling builds awareness; engagement sustains relevance, and strategic digital integration turns influence into sales. The synergy between fashion weeks and Singles’ Day — between high fashion and high traffic — is becoming the hallmark of China’s next-generation brand strategy.

As the boundaries between global prestige and domestic performance blur, 2026 will likely see deeper integration between international fashion calendars and China’s digital economy. True globalization, after all, means more than showing abroad — it means transforming global fascination with Oriental aesthetics into genuine consumer connection and tangible growth.

Editor’s Note: China Insight is a monthly column from WWD’s sister publication WWD China on trends and developments in that all-important market.

When Kiara Morris, an early in career lawyer at MinterEllison, opens a draft of legal advice, she launches Microsoft Copilot alongside. With court dates approaching, she turns to the AI tool to anticipate potential questions from opposing counsel and uncover case examples relevant to her jurisdiction in Western Australia.

“As a junior lawyer, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to get courtroom experience early on,” Morris explains. “With my first appearance coming up, Copilot has helped me think through the kinds of questions I might face. It’s been a huge boost to my confidence and how prepared I feel.”

By mid-morning in MinterEllison’s Sydney office, Jett Potter is usually also working in Copilot, using agents he’s built to help shape briefing decks or review his work. The Lawyer, who is part of the firm’s AI advisory team, will drop an outline into his critique agent and ask it to improve the structure and tone, and pull any relevant research in so he can focus on the argument rather than formatting.

“I rely on it for the majority of my day – more than I use Teams,” he explains. “I’ve created an agent that is designed to think like a top-tier consulting partner, pointing it to content that has been reviewed by Partners and has received positive feedback.

“I can get to the final output faster because I’ve already incorporated multiple rounds of feedback using the agent before sharing it for review,” he said.

Kiara and Jett are among the many young professionals who are using AI as a ‘rehearsal room’, a reviewer and more to accelerate their learning curves.

Embracing high-value work with AI assistance

Morris is using Microsoft Copilot’s Researcher Agent extensively in her role to speed up and deepen the research that she does as a junior lawyer.  

“I work in the Infrastructure and Construction team, where I’m often getting my head around complex engineering terminology,” said Morris. “Researcher helps me quickly surface and contextualise technical concepts that aren’t necessarily legal but are important to understanding the client’s requirements.

“It can be targeted at Western Australia specifically, ensuring I can deliver precise, context-appropriate information, making my research process much more thorough and efficient.”

From there, she asks Copilot to probe her drafts from the client’s perspective to identify what’s missing, what questions could be asked and what she’ll need to defend. That way, she can pre-answer those questions before sending the draft up the chain.

“When seniors ask, ‘Have you considered this approach?’, I can say yes, and justify why this is the best path forward. That builds their trust in me,” she says.  

Potter, too, is using AI to accelerate his progression towards higher-value work. As part of the AI Advisory team, he uses his skills to build custom agents and design courses the firm can present to clients. He recently scoped a short AI training program with practice leads, grouping common questions into modules and pairing real scenarios with step-by-step prompts.

That work brings him into partner and director discussions earlier, where he is invited to provide perspective on new initiatives and ideas for AI, as well as run demos.

“There’s often a big shift from being a junior doing the administrative work to joining senior employees in thinking strategically about how we work with and what we offer clients. I feel like my early in career peers and I get to do more of that now because leaders are engaging with us for our AI skills.

“We’ve just successfully sold our first AI training program to a client. It’s an idea that I originally proposed to our leadership and took the lead on drafting the supporting documents and prompt guide,” he says. “Using AI made the turnaround fast and didn’t impact my other priorities, while also giving me greater visibility with Partners.”

What’s happening at MinterEllison mirrors a broader trend. In a recent data drop from  Microsoft, CTRL+Career, a survey of 500 early-career professionals across Australia and New Zealand found that 80 percent those surveyed feel their AI skills have given them more visibility at work compared to before they started using AI. Meanwhile, 83 percent also say their senior leaders actively seek input or ideas from them on how AI can be used at work.

Improving career prospects by joining senior conversations

Morris, Potter and other younger staff members are now being asked to contribute across the firm as its leaders seek to harness their practical understanding of AI.

“I get opportunities to sit in high-level executive meetings where I’m two or three levels below the next person because they want our perspective on whether a process could be improved using AI,” says Potter.

Morris says MinterEllison offices in Perth and across Australia have been sharing ways of developing day-to-day AI use, with her input. “I’ve had opportunities to share ideas and best practice for rolling out tools and client solutions with senior leadership, in a forum that wasn’t really possible before AI,” she says.

However, despite the broad applications for this developing technology within their sector, both employees are conscious that human input will still be required to ensure all AI output meets the bar. Legal work, in particular, still demands a human at the centre of all client work.

“We have professional obligations not to take information at face value,” says Morris. “Even if AI gives you a small extract from a case, you need to ensure the case as a whole is relevant – and this is the critical step to ensuring you actually learn the content that AI produces. If you’re just copying and pasting, it will get exposed later when seniors test your understanding.”

Learning the content and not just using AI as information retrieval or shortcut remains top of mind for early in career professionals, with the CTRL+Career survey revealing that nearly half feel they don’t learn the content as well as they did before they started using AI. However, the majority (92 percent) feel confident in their ability to critically assess and challenge the AI-generated outputs – Signalling a need to ensure they are taught to use it to enhance critical thinking, not take away from it.

While Potter also acknowledges the need for human checks and balances, he is ultimately convinced that AI literacy has become a non-negotiable for any aspiring employee, whether they are pursuing a career in law or another industry.

“It’s a must. There’s this rumbling in our entire industry, with people asking, ‘Can AI replace my job?’ The way I think about it is that the person using AI will get your job,” he says. “So, you need to jump on the bandwagon. If nothing else, you need to understand how the technology works and how to get the most out of it. It’s not perfect; there are limitations, but you only know that by using it.”

Dr. Emrullah Yilmaz, MD, PhD, has stepped into a pivotal role as Senior Medical Director at Johnson & Johnson, a global leader in healthcare innovation. Announced through his professional network, Dr. Yilmaz shared his excitement for embarking on this new chapter, one that builds on a legacy of excellence in oncology, research, and collaborative medical leadership.

Early Life and Academic Journey

Originally from Turkey, Dr. Yilmaz pursued his formative medical education at Hacettepe University. His commitment to research and patient care was evident from the start, leading him to complete his MD and later earn his PhD focused on advanced oncology topics. His years at Hacettepe University laid the groundwork for his dedication to both scientific inquiry and the practical dimensions of clinical care.

His academic journey continued through rigorous clinical training in both residency and fellowship programs, with posts at celebrated institutions in Turkey and the United States. A decisive move was his entry into cancer research as a postdoctoral scholar and then clinical fellow, honing his focus on head and neck oncology as well as precision medicine. These early years helped shape his philosophy of combining advanced therapeutics with compassionate patient-centered care.

Career and Leadership Roles

Before his recent appointment at Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Yilmaz held progressively senior roles in prestigious healthcare settings across the US. Notably, between 2016 and 2021, he served as Assistant Professor and Co-Leader of the Head & Neck Clinical Working Group at the University of New Mexico, where he developed new protocols for the management and clinical trial design in head and neck cancers.

Joining Cleveland Clinic in 2021, Dr. Yilmaz became Head & Neck Medical Oncologist and then Director of Precision Oncology, further deepening his expertise in integrating genomics and individualized targeted therapy. In these positions, he mentored younger clinicians, influenced national cancer guidelines, and contributed meaningfully to multidisciplinary research teams.

In 2024, his leadership roles expanded at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, first as Medical Director and subsequently as Senior Medical Director. Dr. Yilmaz now oversees medical strategy and clinical development at one of the world’s leading life sciences giants, where his focus is on translating scientific advances into effective therapies for patients globally.

Research Contributions and Innovation

Dr. Yilmaz is recognized for significant contributions in head and neck oncology, precision medicine, and clinical trials. His research has addressed the molecular basis of cancer, with emphasis on biomarker-driven therapy, improving outcomes in both common and rare tumor types.

He has worked on projects that integrate large-scale genomic profiling into clinical workflows, enabling more personalized and adaptive approaches to cancer treatment. His published work covers topics such as therapeutic sequencing in head and neck cancers, real-world use of targeted drugs, and the application of novel immunotherapies.

Peer-reviewed journal articles authored or co-authored by Dr. Yilmaz appear in publications such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, CA: Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and Cancer Research. His leadership in multi-institutional studies and advisory roles for pharmaceutical innovation highlight a commitment to data-driven and evidence-based advancement in oncology.

Recognition and Awards of Emrullah Yilmaz

Dr. Yilmaz’s career trajectory is marked by multiple honors reflecting his dedication to clinical excellence and scientific advancement. He has received distinguished awards for his work in translational oncology and clinical trial innovation, although specific public awards are not overtly shared in social media profiles. His reputation among colleagues is evidenced by invitations to speak at international congresses and serve on expert panels within organizations such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

A New Chapter at Johnson & Johnson

Dr. Yilmaz’s recent announcement made via Linkedln reflects both a sense of accomplishment and forward-looking vision:

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Senior Medical Director at Johnson & Johnson!”

In this capacity, Dr. Yilmaz will lead teams focused on the global development of novel cancer therapies, mentor clinical scientists, and support partnership building across research networks. His appointment affirms Johnson & Johnson’s ongoing commitment to advancing medical science through expert leadership and international collaboration.

Looking Ahead

With Dr. Emrullah Yilmaz’s appointment, Johnson & Johnson further strengthens its position as an industry leader in the creation and dissemination of life-saving therapies. Dr. Yilmaz’s unique blend of medical expertise, research rigor, and visionary leadership aligns perfectly with the company’s mission to improve health outcomes for patients worldwide.

His journey—from a dedicated young clinician-researcher in Turkey to senior roles spanning top US academic medical centers, culminating in a key directorial position at Johnson & Johnson—serves as inspiration to the next generation of clinicians and scientists. Dr. Yilmaz continues to exemplify the ideals of innovation, patient-centered care, and global impact in medical oncology.

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