Abbott Launches Local Production of Alinity i and GLP Automation Systems in China, Projecting RMB 500 Million Revenue Increase

On October 9, Abbott announced the official launch of its domestically produced immune module Alinity i and automated assembly line GLP, marking a new chapter in the localized production of these two intelligent solutions at Abbott Diagnostics' Hangzhou factory.

Among them, Alinity i is the first product in the Alinity family series of solutions to be launched in China, effectively enhancing laboratory operational efficiency and high-quality development; while the GLP Laboratory Automation System meets the growing needs of laboratories from multiple dimensions, such as improving sample turnaround time, ensuring accurate clinical decision-making, reducing staff workload, and making full use of space.

According to reports from the Qiantang New District, this project is the first localized imported medical device project in Hangzhou City. It is expected to officially commence production in 2025, at which time it will add an annual industrial output value of 300 million yuan and is expected to drive annual revenue growth of 500 million yuan.

As a global giant in in vitro diagnostics (IVD), Abbott focuses on the entire process of early disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring, and is committed to providing laboratories with comprehensive solutions, including pre-processing, automation, clinical chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, and informatics products.

As early as the fourth quarter of 2016, Abbott obtained CE marks for four new major diagnostic systems, which together form Abbott's Alinity series. Among them, "Alinity TM" is used for blood and plasma screening, "Alinity i" and "Alinity c" are used for immunoassay diagnostics and clinical chemistry diagnostics respectively, and "i-STAT® Alinity" focuses on point-of-care blood testing. The launch of these instruments further enriches Abbott's diagnostic product line and enhances its competitiveness in the global market.

It is worth mentioning that Alinity PRO, as the supporting software for the Alinity system, provides staff with the ability to seamlessly transfer reagent inventory between systems, effectively reducing waste and simplifying inventory management. In addition, Abbott's information management system is highly open, enabling connectivity for both Abbott instruments and those of other brands, offering great convenience to users.

In the Alinity™ diagnostic system, key laboratory disciplines such as hematology, blood screening, molecular diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and informatics systems are fully covered. Particularly, the Alinity iiii, a system that can be configured with up to four modules, has a testing speed of up to 800 tests per hour—meaning each Alinity i module operates at 200 tests per hour—fully meeting laboratories' demands for efficient and accurate testing.

In order to further expand its business territory, in 2017 Abbott acquired Alere. This move expanded Abbott's diagnostic business from the original three segments to four, adding a rapid diagnostics segment composed of Alere’s diagnostic business. In the same year, the Chinese market became the second largest market for Abbott Diagnostics. In 2018, Abbott's traditional diagnostics business continued to perform well, accounting for 58.5%. Among these, the chemiluminescence integrated product solution achieved an 8.0% growth.

Since the official launch of the Alinity i Localization Project in December 2023, it took only 9 months to gain successful approval on September 2, 2024. Moreover, the time from entering the registration process to obtaining the certification was less than 3 months.

Alinity i, as the first product in the Alinity family series solution to be launched in China, provides high-quality, rapid, and accurate diagnostic test results for the healthcare industry with its automated functions and user-friendly interface. These test results are crucial for doctors to make better clinical decisions and can significantly improve patient outcomes and healthcare quality.

The localized production of Alinity i not only ensures more off-instrument time, smaller footprint, higher testing throughput, fewer resource requirements, and faster test reporting but also effectively enhances the operational efficiency and high-quality development of laboratories. This innovative product meets the urgent need for efficient and accurate diagnostics in laboratories, providing strong support to medical institutions.

At the same time, the GLP laboratory automation system has demonstrated its excellent performance in multiple dimensions, such as improving sample turnaround time, ensuring accurate clinical decision-making, reducing personnel workload, and maximizing the use of space. This system further enhances the automation level of the laboratory, providing strong support for the precision and efficiency of medical diagnostics.

It is worth mentioning that the important participant in the implementation of this project—Alere (Hangzhou) Biomedical Co., Ltd. from Hangzhou Dachuang Town—is Abbott's largest global base for research, development, and production of immunochromatographic in vitro diagnostic reagents. It holds a world-leading position in rapid diagnostic reagent colloidal gold immunochromatography technology. The base covers a wide range of product lines, with an annual market supply of approximately 500 million tests. Its products are sold to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, providing solid support for Abbott’s expansion in the global market.