Michael Corbo is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. Corbo’s career spans nearly forty years in leading organizations and teams across early- and late-stage drug development, and he has driven more than fourteen global drug and indication approvals. His work has focused on accelerating the development and availability of innovative medicines for patients in the United States and globally through the integration of China and Japan into worldwide development programs. He has also been a strong advocate for identifying and advancing promising therapeutic innovations emerging from China for patients in the United States and around the world. Corbo spent fifteen years with Pfizer, most recently being responsible for overall research and development (R&D) in China and Japan for the full pharmaceutical portfolio.
In his career at Pfizer and earlier at Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson, Corbo has led organizations spanning multiple therapeutic areas and stages of development. He was responsible for the expansion of Pfizer’s centralized clinical research unit supporting first-in-human through proof-of-concept studies across oncology, therapeutic vaccines, and other therapeutic and diagnostic areas. Corbo led development of Pfizer’s biosimilars portfolio from concept through approval, working collaboratively across worldwide R&D organizations. Before joining Pfizer, Corbo served as vice president of the Center of Excellence for Clinical Biologics Development at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he guided the global development and approval of biologic therapies including ORENCIA in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Australia, Japan, and China.
Corbo has extensive experience collaborating with regulatory authorities around the world, including the Food and Drug Administration, Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products, and National Medical Products Administration, to advance efficient and scientifically rigorous global development pathways.
Outside of his professional work, Corbo enjoys hiking, kayaking, and biking. He also supports his local communities through volunteer efforts focused on creating positive experiences for children with special needs and for the elderly.