Peking University and MSD Launch Joint Laboratory to Advance Public Health Innovation through Industry-Academia Collaboration

Peking University-MSD Joint Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Technology Officially Launched

ShanghaiNovember 8, 2023PR Newswire -- During the 2023 Sixth China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as "CIIE"), MSD and Peking University officially announced the establishment of the "Peking University-MSD Joint Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Technology." The inauguration ceremony of the laboratory was held at the CIIE, an international platform that consistently advocates openness, sharing, and cooperation, marking a new level in the partnership between the two parties.

"Peking University-MSD Joint Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Technology" Officially Inaugurated, Both Parties Unite to Build a Tightly Integrated Innovation Ecosystem of Industry, Academia, and Research

Deputy Director of Peking University Health Science Center, Xiao Yuan, and Senior Vice President of MSD Global and President of MSD China, Anna Van Acker, delivered speeches respectively, expressing the unwavering mission and vision of both parties in adhering to their original aspirations, forging ahead, and jointly building "Healthy China" over their respective century-long development journeys. With the joint laboratory as a new starting point, the two sides will rely on MSD's strong innovative R&D advantages and Peking University's profound scientific research and academic resources to focus on constructing an innovation ecosystem that tightly integrates industry, academia, and research. They aim to explore new ways to enhance the level of medical science and technology innovation and accelerate the transformation of technological achievements, injecting new momentum into improving China’s public health system and achieving the grand goal of Healthy China. At the launch ceremony, Shen Juan, Deputy Director of the Industrial Management Office and Director of the Technology Transfer Office of Peking University Health Science Center, along with senior representatives from MSD, gathered for a roundtable discussion to discuss medical science and technology innovation and the transformation of achievements, the construction of a public health talent system, and the challenges and opportunities of real-world research. The latest academic achievement of the cooperation between the two parties in the field of public health talent training, "Research Report on the Competency Model of Backbone Talents in China's Public Health Science and Technology," was also released at the event. The report was interpreted by Cui Fuqiang, a researcher and doctoral supervisor at the School of Public Health, Peking University, providing a deep and solid theoretical foundation for constructing and improving the public health talent system and filling the structural gaps in public health talent.

"PKU-MSD Joint Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Technology" Officially Signed, Partnership Reaches New Heights

Currently, medical science and technology innovation and the transformation of technical achievements have become key issues in the development of the healthcare industry. The "14th Five-Year Plan" insists on taking scientific and technological innovation as the core support in China's modernization construction, and the "Healthy China 2030" outline further clarifies the enhancement of technical innovation capabilities and the acceleration of innovation achievement transformation as key work objectives. This aims to achieve high-quality development in the medical industry, ensure people's livelihood and public health, and meet the new demands of the population for personalized and precise medical care. Meanwhile, the level of medical innovation and R&D in China is experiencing rapid growth but still faces challenges such as insufficient R&D resources, long technology transformation chains, a lack of interdisciplinary talents, and traditional development models. Various regions have introduced multiple measures to address blockages at all stages, guiding the industry to strengthen industry-university-research cooperation, build a shared and co-created medical innovation ecosystem, integrate diverse advantages, and solve industrial development issues in an industrialized manner.

The exploration of PKU and MSD into the construction of an innovative ecological system for industry-university-research collaboration began in 2020. The two parties have carried out multiple collaborations in fields such as real-world data research, clinical research, epidemiological research, and public health talent system construction, achieving fruitful results. A series of standardized research on real-world data and evidence initiated in 2020 has effectively promoted the development process of real-world research in China, expanding the application boundaries of real-world research throughout the entire life cycle of healthcare products and services. Clinical and epidemiological research on the human papillomavirus (HPV) and rotavirus (Rotavirus) has led to dedicated innovations for safeguarding public health and optimizing solutions. In February this year, the two parties jointly launched the "Jingwei Plan" for the cultivation of young and middle-aged scientific and technological backbone talents in public health, responding to the important call in the "14th Five-Year Plan" outline to "build a strong public health system and strengthen the construction of public health talent teams."

To better promote the implementation of the Healthy China blueprint and the upgrading of the medical industry, Peking University and MSD, building on their existing cooperative achievements, have upgraded to establish a more comprehensive, systematic, and efficient partnership by founding the PKU-MSD Joint Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Technology.

Xiao Yuan, Deputy Director of Peking University Health Science Center, stated, "On the basis of co-creation, co-construction, and common development with MSD, we will achieve close integration of industry, academia, and research. Together, we will explore and carry out long-term cooperation projects in areas such as technological innovation in public health, real-world research in key disease fields, transformation of research results, and the development of public health talent. The integration of our complementary strengths will accelerate the output efficiency of scientific and technological innovation, optimize the transformation chain between technology and industry, and jointly provide strong momentum for building a more comprehensive public health system and achieving the grand goal of Healthy China 2030."

Xiao Yuan, Deputy Director of Peking University Health Science Center, Delivered a Speech

Anna Tian, Senior Vice President of MSD Global and President of MSD China, stated, "MSD always believes in the power of collaboration and ecosystems. Over the past thirty-one years in China, we have continuously partnered with local collaborators in various aspects such as R&D, manufacturing, distribution, and public health talent development to bring innovative health solutions for the prevention and treatment of diseases to benefit human health and animal welfare. Through solid and strong partnerships with multiple parties, we deliver high-quality medicines and vaccines to patients and consumers in China, help improve public health awareness and literacy, and empower the development of talent within China's healthcare system."

Remarks by Anna Tian, Senior Vice President of MSD Global and President of MSD China

Since its inception six years ago, the CIIE has become a vital platform for expanding innovative cooperation both in and outside China and promoting the shared prosperity of various fields. "From Collaboration to Ecosystem" is one of the key themes MSD presented at its booth during this year’s CIIE. It also represents a crucial path for all sectors of the healthcare industry to unite, embrace new development opportunities, and move forward together. Upholding the values of our founder George Merck — "Medicine is for human beings, not for profit-making" — MSD will continue to collaborate with partners across academia, research, and industry to build a sustainable, efficient, and healthy healthcare ecosystem. By unlocking the power of ecosystem synergy, we aim to set new benchmarks and inject added value into pharmaceutical technology innovation and the transformation of scientific achievements. Through diverse collaborations, we illuminate the future of health, advancing together toward the grand goal of Healthy China 2030.

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