Pudong Accelerates as a Global Biopharma Innovation Hub with New Medical Devices, AI-Driven Drug Discovery, and Advanced Therapies

May 22, 2026 18:33 CST Updated 18:33

Endovastec

Developer and Manufacturer of Aortic and Peripheral Vascular Interventional Medical Devices

XtalPi

Computation-Driven Innovative Drug R&D Provider

GSK China

Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

Recently, Pudong's biopharmaceutical industry has once again delivered good news — Fishhawk®/鱼鹰® Disposable Thrombectomy Device, developed by Bluevascular MedTech, a subsidiary of Endovastec, has officially receivedNMPAMarket approval. This is the 9th domestically produced Class III innovative medical device approved for marketing in Pudong this year, with the total number of approvals already surpassing the sum of last year’s total. Additionally, XtalPi recently announced the latest preclinical achievements in collaboration with Flow Pharma on their AI cancer vaccine platform; GSK China's Maraba antibody injection combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone (BVd) treatment regimen has been approved, offering a new option for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma.

From the密集 "launch" of locally innovative medical devices, to AI empowering cancer vaccine platform R&D, to multinational pharmaceutical companies accelerating the落地 of innovative therapies in China, Pudong is speeding up its efforts to build a global hub for biopharmaceutical innovation, moving from "China-first innovations" towards "global synchronization."

The 9th This Year! Precisely Addressing the Pain Points in Deep Vein Thrombosis Treatment

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) refers to the venous reflux disorder disease caused by abnormal blood clotting in the deep vein cavity. Percutaneous Mechanical Thrombectomy (PMT), with its advantages of rapid thrombus removal, minimal trauma, and fewer complications, has become a preferred approach for clinical treatment of acute high-burden deep vein thrombosis.

The Fishhawk®/鱼鹰® Disposable Thrombectomy Device, which has been approved this time, was granted entry into the National Innovative Medical Device Special Review Process in 2022. It is suitable for percutaneous endovascular removal of acute iliac and deep femoral vein thrombosis. The product adopts an innovative thrombectomy technology, achieving intracatheter cutting and immediate evacuation of thrombi, which not only meets the clinical need for clearing high-burden venous thrombi but also reduces surgical complications such as hematuria and renal failure. The handle integrates power transmission and negative pressure suction functions without the need for an external power source. The entire device is portable, lightweight, easy to promote clinically, and accurately addresses a key pain point in clinical treatment.

Dr. Yuan Zhenyu, Senior Vice President of R&D at Endovastec and General Manager of Bluevascular MedTech, introduced: "Currently, Bluevascular MedTech has six marketed products in the peripheral venous intervention field, two of which are national innovative medical devices, gradually forming a systematic solution for peripheral venous intervention treatments that includes stents, balloons, filters, filter retrieval, thrombectomy, and radiofrequency therapy. In addition, multiple innovative peripheral venous intervention products are under steady development with the pipeline progressing in an orderly manner."

As one of the regions in China with the most complete biomedicine industry chain, the best ecosystem, the most concentrated talent pool, the most efficient R&D, and the most active innovation, Pudong has approved nine domestically produced Class III innovative medical devices this year alone. Among them is the world's first clinically applied invasive brain-computer interface medical device — the BrainRobotics Invasive Brain-Computer Interface System — demonstrating Pudong's continuously growing self-research capabilities and innovative leadership in the high-end medical device field.

Release of the Latest Progress in AI Cancer Vaccines Leads the Industrialization Process of Peptide Innovative Drugs

While there is continuous good news in the medical device field, Pudong has also made progress at the forefront of AI-driven drug research and development. Recently, XtalPi, a Pudong-based company, in collaboration with FlowVax Pharmaceutical Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yangtze River Life Sciences, officially announced the latest preclinical achievements from their joint efforts in developing an AI cancer vaccine platform.

Relying on XtalPi's self-developed PepiX™ AI Peptide Drug Development Platform, the research team successfully optimized a new antigen peptide segment targeting the highly challenging broad-spectrum anti-cancer target p53, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent development of cancer vaccines. This progress not only marks that XtalPi’s AI peptide drug R&D platform has achieved substantial results in tackling "undruggable" targets, but also indicates that the jointly developed AI cancer vaccine platform is steadily moving beyond the early discovery stage.

Notably, peptide drugs combine the tissue penetration of small molecule drugs with the high targeting of large molecule biologics, offering tremendous market potential. This makes it another core AI research area for XtalPi, following small molecules and antibody drugs, where cutting-edge technology has been industrialized and commercially validated.

Targeting traditional R&D pain points such as short peptide half-life and poor cell penetration, XtalPi has independently developed an integrated peptide development platform, PepiX™. To date, PepiX™ has successfully empowered dozens of complex peptide R&D projects.

Innovative Therapies Accelerate Implementation, Enriching Patient Treatment Options

This Year, Multiple Innovative Therapies from Multinational Pharmaceutical Companies in Pudong Have Accelerated Their Launch in China, Expanding Treatment Options for Patients. Recently, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved GSK China's Belantamab Mafodotin Injection for use in combination with Bortezomib and Dexamethasone (BVd) to treat adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. The marketing application was included in the priority review and approval process. Given that the BVd combination therapy is expected to deliver significant efficacy improvements over existing treatments, this regimen has been designated under the breakthrough therapy program.

It is reported that in recent years, an increasing number of innovative therapies targeting BCMA, such as ADCs, bispecific antibodies, and CAR-T, have provided core support for the comprehensive management of multiple myeloma. If the golden window of first relapse can be seized and standardized diagnosis and treatment are adhered to, long-term stable control can be potentially achieved.

With the clinical promotion and application of innovative therapies, as well as the continuous support from policies such as the dynamic adjustment of the national medical insurance catalog and the implementation of innovative drugs at the grassroots level, the long-term high-quality survival of cancer patients in China is gradually turning from a vision into reality. This is closely related to the accelerated introduction of innovative therapies in China in recent years, achieving "global synchronization."

Professor Peng Liu, Director of the Department of Hematology at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University, stated: "In recent years, the approval and launch of global new drugs in China have become nearly simultaneous with those overseas, which allows patients to benefit from innovative therapies earlier. For doctors, it enables them to observe and study new treatments concurrently, which is also highly beneficial for future drug research."

According to the CDE official website,Since the beginning of this year, several new drugs from multinational pharmaceutical companies in Pudong have been approved for marketing in China, including new fields such as peptides, antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Additionally, multiple drugs have entered the clinical approval stage, covering areas like gene therapy. Indications include unmet treatment needs such as multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, and advanced solid tumors.

Source of the article: Published by Pudong