Pfizer Returns to CIIE for the Fifth Time with Innovative Portfolio, Reaffirming Commitment to 'Healthy China'

ShanghaiNovember 2, 2023/PR Newswire/ -- "The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is an international platform for sharing opportunities in China and promoting exchanges and cooperation. Through the CIIE platform, Pfizer has successfully transformed eight innovative products from exhibits into commercial products, bringing real benefits to patients in China. This year marks Pfizer's fifth participation in the CIIE, demonstrating its full recognition of the CIIE platform and its unwavering commitment to being rooted in China and benefiting patients in China." Jean-Christophe Pointeau, President of Pfizer China, said.

InAt this year's CIIE, Pfizer will showcase over 30 groundbreaking innovative products and medical solutions across six therapeutic areas: oncology, vaccines, anti-infectives, inflammation and immunology, rare diseases, and migraine. Among them, six innovative products will be unveiled in China for the first time, including two innovative products in the migraine treatment field and two in oncology.PaymentProducts, as well as two highly anticipated vaccines. Leflunomide, a recently approved drug for the treatment of alopecia areata.^®It will also be showcased during this year's CIIE. This is not only another significant milestone for Pfizer in expanding its presence in the inflammation and immunology field, but it also ushers in a new era of systemic treatment for alopecia areata, being the first to cover both adolescents and adults.

Jean-Christophe Pointeau has high expectations for this year's CIIE. During the exhibition, Pfizer's booth will host approximately 40 significant events, including more than ten signing ceremonies with key partners. These events will showcase Pfizer's bold breakthroughs in "innovation," achievements in the field of "collaboration," and actions taken to benefit patients in China, fulfilling its commitment of "In China, For China."

Driven by Innovation, Continuously Expanding Investment in the Chinese Market

Currently, in many disease treatment areas, there are still numerous unmet needs. Pfizer has gained insight into the needs of Chinese patients, especially in the field of oncology, and introduced high-quality innovative oncology products to fill market gaps. Pfizer's oncology product line in the Chinese market covers a wide range, involving multiple treatment areas including lung cancer, breast cancer, and kidney cancer. As a leader in oncology innovation, this year at the CIIE, Pfizer will introduce two breakthroughOfInnovative Products ELREXFIO and Talazoparib. ELREXFIO (elranatamab-bcmm) is a subcutaneously injected bispecific antibody targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and CD3. It has received the "Breakthrough Therapy" and "Orphan Drug" designations from the U.S. FDA and was approved for marketing on August 14 this year for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Talazoparib is a next-generation PARP inhibitor, with an application for marketing approval submitted in China, offering potential new treatment options and benefits for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Pfizer has also made breakthrough progress in the vaccine field. During the CIIE, Pfizer brought its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Abrysvo, which was approved in the United States this year. Abrysvo has currently received FDA approval for the prevention of lower respiratory tract diseases caused by respiratory syncytial virus in infants from birth to 6 months of age and individuals aged 60 years and above. It is the first and only maternal immunization vaccine approved to protect newborns from respiratory syncytial virus infection, referred to as an important milestone for both the scientific community and public health.

Pfizer's mission is "to bring breakthrough innovations that change patients' lives." On the track of innovative development, Pfizer has always been at the forefront.FromSince entering the Chinese market in 1989, Pfizer has introduced over 80 innovative products to China, benefiting tens of millions of Chinese patients. From 2023 to 2025, Pfizer expects to submit and gain approval for 17 innovative products and new indications in China. To date, four have been approved. Jean-Christophe Pointeau proudly noted: "As of October 2023, Pfizer globally has 83 projects currently in research, undoubtedly representing 83 potential opportunities to change the lives of patients worldwide."

At the same time, Pfizer has always been at the forefront of innovative drug development. Pfizer believes in "science as the key to success." Only by continuously enriching its product pipeline can clinical needs be timely met and more patients quickly benefit from advancements in medical science. By the end of 2022, after achieving the "double 80%" target, Pfizer's R&D Center in China raised this figure to 100%, meaning that by 2027, China’s R&D center will participate in all pivotal Phase III clinical trials globally within Pfizer. This goal undoubtedly allows Chinese patients to access Pfizer's cutting-edge innovative treatments faster, and even simultaneously with the rest of the world.

ThisDuring the upcoming CIIE, Pfizer will launch the "Ignite" program in China for the first time, providing support and services to local Chinese biopharmaceutical partners to help accelerate innovation in China's biopharmaceutical companies. Jean-Christophe Pointeau expressed high expectations for the program, stating: “The goal of Ignite is to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with biopharmaceutical companies that are driven by the belief of transforming patients' lives. Based on Pfizer’s profound expertise across every link of the drug development value chain, we hope to empower emerging biopharmaceutical enterprises through the innovative collaboration model of Ignite. I firmly believe that through close collaboration with China’s rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry ecosystem, Ignite will stimulate significant breakthrough innovations in China.”

Pfizer's "Ignite" Program is an end-to-end development and clinical service initiative designed for biopharmaceutical innovators. Ignite effectively integrates Pfizer’s robust resources, extensive industry presence, and established development expertise to directly accelerate the R&D progress of biopharmaceutical companies. This encompasses comprehensive support ranging from customized consulting for strategic planning and early-stage research to preclinical/clinical development, regulatory guidance, and world-class manufacturing capabilities.

Win-win cooperation, actively expanding the scope of collaboration

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. China is progressively advancing a more open and inclusive business environment, fully strengthening mutually beneficial cooperative ties, and continuously reinforcing innovation-driven development pathways. "In recent years, China’s efforts and achievements in enhancing intellectual property protection and optimizing the business environment have been evident for all to see. China’s firm determination to actively promote economic globalization, foster development through openness, and pursue win-win outcomes through cooperation has also bolstered the confidence of enterprises around the world in strengthening trade and investment cooperation with China," said Jean-Christophe Pointeau. He noted that the China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a platform for China to expand openness and achieve win-win cooperation. Pfizer is making full use of the platform provided by CIIE to engage in extensive exchanges with all sectors of society, actively expand the scope of cooperation, and explore innovative development paths and cooperative models.

In May 2023, Pfizer established the Pfizer Intelligent Healthcare Innovation Center in Hangzhou, dedicated to providing digital and intelligent innovative solutions for doctors and patients. At the same time, it actively promotes digital transformation and formulates digital strategies to meet business needs in new product development, multi-channel marketing, and other areas. At this year's CIIE, the Pfizer Intelligent Healthcare Innovation Center will also partner with those committed to leading the digital and intelligent healthcare development to comprehensively expand the scope and depth of cooperation, actively building new forms and models under the era of digital intelligence.

"The establishment of Pfizer's Smart Healthcare Innovation Center aims to empower China's healthcare industry through digital innovation, gathering top talents in the industry to focus on pain points and address industry challenges via mobile solutions," Jean-Christophe Pointeau noted. "Pfizer will further strengthen cooperation with local governments, Chinese companies, and startups to fully utilize and incubate digital technologies. By applying cutting-edge technology, we aim to accelerate the construction of a smart healthcare ecosystem, explore innovative 'go-to-market' models, and provide doctors and patients with higher quality, faster, and smarter healthcare solutions."

In fact, Pfizer's "circle of friends" has been continuously expanding. In March 2023, Pfizer signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with the Health China Research Center to boost the implementation of the Health China strategy and serve the high-quality implementation of the Health China initiative. In June 2023, Pfizer signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group to jointly enhance the accessibility of locally produced oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 in China. At this year’s CIIE, Pfizer will also sign agreements with Lecheng, the Greater Bay Area Real-World Research Institute, and commercial partners to jointly establish an academic exchange platform for real-world research. Pfizer will engage in multi-level cooperation with various healthcare-related partners to collaboratively promote the construction of China’s migraine prevention, control, and treatment system, work together to streamline the pathways for migraine diagnosis, treatment, and management, and build a new integrated ecosystem for migraine diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Patient-Centered Approach to Promote High-Quality Development in Healthcare

High-quality development is the top priority for China's comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country at present. However, in certain disease areas, there remains significant room for improving patients' quality of life. Taking migraine as an example, the latest epidemiological survey shows that the annual prevalence rate of migraine among people aged 18 to 65 in China is 9.3% [1]. Based on this estimate, there are approximately 130 million migraine patients in China. Most of them choose to endure silently, avoid medical treatment, and lack adequate preventive care. When afflicted, they suffer from excruciating headaches, severely impacting their work and daily life. They may also experience accompanying issues such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia, resulting in a very low quality of life that urgently needs improvement.

"In China, for China," Pfizer has been rooted in China for over 30 years as a member of China's health ecosystem. Centered on patients, Pfizer understands their pain points and pays maximum attention to the entire process from disease awareness, prevention, diagnosis, to treatment, actively contributing to the high-quality development of China’s healthcare industry. To improve the quality of life for the vast number of migraine patients, Pfizer is actively advancing in this therapeutic area.TheProduct Launch in the Chinese Market.

At the same time, Pfizer is also focusing on broader regions, supporting the high-quality development of county-level healthcare through a series of initiatives. For example, Pfizer supports the Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment Action Plan, further increasing breast cancer screening coverage, awareness, and early diagnosis rates while improving the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of grassroots medical staff. To support the national strategies of “Major Diseases Treated Within Counties” and “Tiered Medical Care,” as well as to actively respond to the call of national policies such as "Healthy China 2030" and the “Thousand County Project,” Pfizer China has been promoting standardized treatment and localized management in county-level areas for many years. Currently, Pfizer's innovative drugs across multiple therapeutic fields, including anti-infectives, oncology, and dermatology, have reached more than 11,000 hospitals in over 1,800 counties across China, benefiting local patients. During this year’s CIIE, Pfizer will collaborate with clinical experts and relevant stakeholders to discuss how to further assist in implementing the national “Thousand County Project,” addressing new challenges and needs in county-level healthcare development, and continuing to promote high-quality healthcare development in counties, benefiting even more patients.

In addition to providing support in the field of migraine and primary care, Pfizer is actively involved in public welfare initiatives and utilizes digital means to help improve the high-quality lives of patients in China. For example, Pfizer's "Start with Love" volunteer service series has been routinely carried out nationwide. The projects include a combination of online and offline activities in the "Love in Action" series; the "Sunshine Plan" series focusing on community senior assistance; the "Beautiful New Sounds" series caring for the healthy growth of impoverished hearing-impaired children; and the "Special Love for Special You" employee volunteer service project aimed at supporting young patients who require long-term medical treatment. In the past year, volunteers participated 551 times, contributing 2,170 hours of volunteer service. Pfizer also launched a digital one-stop pharmaceutical service platform for patients — "Pfizer Medicine Box." With the mission of "providing easily accessible disease knowledge and information and services related to Pfizer medicines," it is committed to offering comprehensive pharmaceutical content and complete medical information services to promote patient health.

In April this year, Pfizer Global set a new ambitious goal to bring change to the lives of 1 billion patients annually by 2027. "Among these '1 billion patients,' Chinese patients undoubtedly form an important part, and China is without a doubt one of Pfizer's most crucial markets," emphasized Jean-Christophe Pointeau. "At present, China's pharmaceutical industry is at an important stage of transitioning from high-speed growth to high-quality development. As China continues to advance with its commitment to high-level opening up, it will enter a new era of comprehensively promoting Chinese-style modernization through high-quality development. Standing at this new starting point, Pfizer will remain true to our original aspiration, integrating our new goals into the grand blueprint of building 'Healthy China.' We will connect the Chinese market with international markets, accelerate the introduction of high-quality innovative products and medical services, and join hands with all sectors of society to contribute more to advancing high-quality development in China’s healthcare sector and the construction of 'Healthy China 2030'!"

[1] Yu S, Liu R, Zhao G, et al. The prevalence and burden of primary headaches in China: a population-based door-to-door survey[J]. Headache, 2012, 52(4):582-591.