Novartis to Establish New Radiopharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility in China, Targeting End-2026 Production Start

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Pharmaceutical EngineeringRadioligand therapy is a new generation of innovative targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. In December, Novartis announced that it would invest in the establishment of a brand-new radiopharmaceutical production base in China to accelerate the introduction of innovative radioligand therapies into China.
 

According to reports, the total investment in the radiopharmaceutical production base is expected to exceed 600 million yuan and will be located in the Nuclear Technology Application (Isotope) Industrial Park in Haiyan County, Zhejiang Province. The construction of the base will adhere to high-quality standards for safe and efficient operations. Provided that the relevant drugs receive regulatory approval, production is expected to commence by the end of 2026.
 

Radioligand therapy is a new generation of innovative targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. This therapy can selectively bind to the corresponding diseased tissues, utilizing radiation energy to kill the target lesions. Due to the appropriate radiation range, it minimizes damage to healthy cells, thereby achieving precise treatment.
 

The industry indicates that radiopharmaceuticals are currently a highly sought-after blue ocean track in the pharmaceuticals industry. This brand-new radiopharmaceutical production base located in Haiyan, Zhejiang, is a crucial step in Novartis Group's global layout, holding immense opportunities for creating a "thousand-mu, billion-yuan output" radiopharmaceuticals industrial cluster.
 

It is reported that after the completion of this brand-new radiopharmaceutical production base in Haiyan, Zhejiang, it will become Novartis' second innovative drug production base in China. Currently, Novartis has a factory in Changping, Beijing, which was founded in 1987, with a total investment of over 700 million RMB. Its production capacity can reach an annual supply of 3 billion tablets and 400 million packaged boxes.
 

Data shows that Novartis focuses on four core therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as five technology platforms: chemotherapy, biologics, gene and cell therapy, radioligand therapy, and xRNA therapy, continuously expanding its R&D capabilities and production scale.
 

In the field of radioligand precision-targeted drugs, Novartis continues to increase its investment. In March 2022, an innovative drug from Novartis' targeted radioligand therapy received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who are positive for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and have progressed after treatment with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and taxane chemotherapy. In December 2022, this innovative drug was approved in the European Union, but it has not yet been approved in China. Novartis has already launched international multicenter clinical research on this therapy in China. As of 2023, Novartis has approximately 10 radioligand therapy-related products under development globally, covering a range of oncological diseases.
 

The radiopharmaceuticals industry in China has become one of the strategically emerging industries supported by the state, and is one of the foundational industries promoting high-quality development in healthcare. Novartis stated that China is one of its strategically significant markets. Adhering to the concept of "Commitment to China," Novartis has deeply rooted itself in China, continuously invested, constantly promoted local cooperation, and comprehensively laid out its presence in the Chinese market. It looks forward to accelerating the introduction of radioligand therapy into China by establishing a new production base, meeting clinical needs while also supporting the development of China’s nuclear medicine industry and the clinical application of related therapies.
 

Disclaimer: In no event shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice to any person.