AstraZeneca Strengthens Investment in China with New Inhalation Aerosol Manufacturing Facility in Qingdao High-Tech Zone

China Finance and Economics Network, November 7 (Reporter Du Ding) In 2022, AstraZeneca continued to increase its investment to deepen its layout in China. On the first day of the CIIE, AstraZeneca announced further cooperation with the Qingdao Municipal Government in Shandong Province, establishing an inhalation aerosol factory in Qingdao High-tech Zone, supporting Qingdao in building a leading rare disease diagnosis and treatment innovation hub in China, and setting up the Qingdao Smart Healthcare Innovation Center and the Qingdao International Life Science Innovation Park.

At the same time, AstraZeneca signed a cooperation memorandum with Qingdao Health Commission. Both parties will carry out cooperation in early disease screening, rare disease diagnosis and treatment, chronic disease prevention and control, and epidemic prevention and control, jointly promoting the rapid development of Qingdao's health cause and industry. In addition, AstraZeneca China International Capital Healthcare Industry Fund also signed a cooperation memorandum with Shandong provincial, municipal, and district-level government guidance funds to jointly establish the Qingdao Fund. By integrating capital and industrial advantages, it aims to help new biopharmaceutical enterprises accelerate their growth locally.

On the same day, AstraZeneca also announced an additional investment of 180 million yuan in its Taizhou Global Supply Base to build a production line for Forxiga, supplying both the Chinese and overseas markets. In addition, AstraZeneca will invest 100 million yuan in its Wuxi Global Supply Base to introduce a new production line for Lokelma and integrate AstraZeneca's global production of Nexium injections into the Wuxi supply base, actively accelerating the localized production and supply of innovative drugs. Currently, AstraZeneca’s two global supply bases located in Wuxi and Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, already export high-quality drugs to nearly 70 countries and regions worldwide.

AstraZeneca China General Manager Leon Lai Ming-lung stated that at this year's CIIE, AstraZeneca will once again bring more globally leading innovative drugs and full-course disease management solutions. The company will further deepen cooperation with many cross-industry partners to not only promote the transformation and upgrading of China’s healthcare industry but also help China become a source of global healthcare innovation.

According to reports, at this year's CIIE, AstraZeneca's booth features four "CIIE first exhibits" of global innovative drugs, covering multiple disease areas including rare diseases, oncology, and COVID-19.

In the field of rare diseases, AstraZeneca showcased its first innovative rare disease drug in China, Soliris, for the first time at this year's CIIE. Soliris is the world's first approved C5 complement inhibitor and has been approved in China as a prescription drug for treating adults and children with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

In the field of oncology, AstraZeneca showcased two groundbreaking innovative drugs, including Enhertu, a uniquely designed HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate jointly developed and commercialized with Japan's Daiichi Sankyo. In April this year, Enhertu was granted breakthrough therapy designation and priority review by the CDE, with the potential to reshape the treatment landscape for HER2-expressing breast cancer. The other drug is Calquence, the world’s first next-generation highly selective BTK inhibitor, indicated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma and relapsed or refractory adult mantle cell lymphoma. The combination drug Evusheld for COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies also made its debut at this year's CIIE.

It is reported that AstraZeneca's Global R&D China Center currently has over 150 ongoing projects in its pipeline in China, with nearly 90% being developed in synchronization with global efforts. It is expected that within the next five years, an additional 60 to 65 new drugs and new indications will be approved in China.