(Yicai Global) May 17 -- WuXi AppTech’s stock price fell after the Chinese pharmaceuticals giant said its co-founder had died after a 20-year fight against cancer.

WuXi AppTech [SHA: 603259] closed down 1.5 percent at CNY67.80 (USD9.70) today, while its Hong Kong-listed shares [HKG: 2359] sank 4.1 percent at HKD69 (USD8.81).

Zhao Ning died yesterday at age 57, the Wuxi-based firm announced today. Zhao, who was the wife of Li Ge, co-founder and chairman of WuXi AppTech, was appointed global human resource head of the company in 2011.

Before founding WuXi AppTech in 2004, Zhao was a scientist at Wyeth, a unit of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, from 1995 to 1996, senior scientist and research director at US Pharmacopeia between 1996 and 1999, and senior scientist and department head at Bristol Myers Squibb from 1999 to 2004.

Li and Zhao ranked 314th on the Hurun Global Rich List 2023, with a combined net worth of CNY52.5 billion (USD7.5 billion).

Editor: Futura Costaglione