Multinational Pharma Giant AstraZeneca Expands Traditional Chinese Medicine Footprint with New R&D Collaboration in Chengdu

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Enterprise NewsRecently, Boji Medicine has "joined hands" with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. Both parties will work together to build a highland for the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, establishing a new R&D and transformation institution in Chengdu High-tech Zone. Boji Medicine will provide AstraZeneca with a range of services including the entire process of TCM R&D (such as pharmaceutical research, non-clinical research, clinical research, registration services, etc.), promoting TCM new drug R&D services, TCM secondary development, and other matters. According to available information, Boji Medicine is a publicly listed company that provides domestic and international pharmaceutical enterprises with "one-stop" outsourcing services (CRO+CDMO) covering the entire process of drug and medical device R&D and production.
 

For AstraZeneca, it actually has certain experience in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) field. According to reports, on November 2 this year, at the "2022 Western China Smart Healthcare Industry Summit," AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research. The AstraZeneca Chengdu International Life Science Innovation Park mainly focuses on the inheritance of TCM and provides incubation platforms and commercial support for innovative enterprises.
 

In April, AstraZeneca's innovation base focused on the field of traditional Chinese medicine officially settled in Chengdu. In addition, as early as 2019, AstraZeneca signed an agreement with Luye Pharma Group to officially announce the acquisition of the exclusive promotion rights for the lipid-regulating health capsule product in mainland China. It is reported that the cardiovascular, renal and metabolic division is one of the four major sectors of AstraZeneca's business structure in China, and the lipid-regulating health capsule (0.3g) firmly holds its place among the five major products in the "cardiovascular field" on AstraZeneca's China website.
 

In fact, in recent years, driven by numerous favorable national policies, the inheritance, innovation, and development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have entered a new stage. According to the "2021 Briefing on Innovation and Development of China's TCM Industry," in the next five years, the market size of China’s TCM industry is expected to maintain an annual compound growth rate of approximately 14.2%, continuing to grow rapidly. By 2025, the market size is expected to reach 5 trillion RMB.
 

Against the backdrop of a vast market space for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the increasing "involution" in the chemical pharmaceuticals sector due to centralized procurement, many multinational pharmaceutical companies are beginning to enter the TCM market to achieve breakthroughs. For instance, Sanofi once collaborated with CR Sanjiu to establish Sanjiu Sanofi. It is reported that CR Sanjiu's past strengths were in cold medicines and TCM patent drugs. Since 2017, it has started to expand into specialized markets such as pediatrics, orthopedics, gynecology, and hepatobiliary. After partnering with Sanofi, Sanofi's "Good Baby" brand will be integrated with CR Sanjiu’s existing pediatric brands.
 

In addition, in 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim also reached a cooperation with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group to jointly promote the pediatric Qixing Tea Syrup under Guangzhou Pharmaceutical. Subsequently, in 2015, Boehringer Ingelheim announced the official launch of its first OTC traditional Chinese medicine product—Le Ketong.
 

The industry believes that with the aggravation of China's aging population and the increase in the incidence of chronic diseases, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concept of "preventive treatment" will bring significant domestic market demand. In the future, multinational pharmaceutical companies, relying on their industry status, international platforms, and industrial resources, are expected to help local TCM enterprises accelerate innovation and international promotion. In fact, AstraZeneca has stated that its collaboration with Chengdu High-Tech Zone to co-build a TCM innovation industrial base will help AstraZeneca focus on the modernization and innovative development of TCM and promote international experience exchange.
 

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