Shanghai Beyond Biopharma Passes Acceptance of Key Zhangjiang Special Fund Project, Secures Tens of Millions in Government Funding

Shanghai, December 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the introduction of the concept of precision medicine and the rapid development of biotechnology, the biopharmaceuticals industry has become a pillar of global economic development. In particular, biopharmaceuticals that align with innovative directions, such as gene editing and cell therapy, have become key areas of focus.

Recently, BRL Medicine Inc., a company focused on gene therapy and cell drug research and development, has successfully passed the acceptance inspection for funding from the "Key Projects (H25) of the Special Development Fund of Shanghai Zhangjiang National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone," while also receiving authoritative recognition from Shanghai municipal government units and tens of millions in special funds support.

BRL Medicine Shanghai Headquarters

The Special Development Fund of Shanghai Zhangjiang National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, isJointly established by the Shanghai municipal and district governmentsIt is one of the important measures to support independent innovation in Shanghai. Among them, the key project (H25), as a module for the agglomeration of scientific and technological innovation functions, only provides funding for projects aimed at introducing and cultivating cutting-edge R&D institutions, key laboratories, functional headquarters, leading enterprises, and innovative platforms from both within and outside China. Therefore, the threshold for project applications is high, the approval difficulty is great, and the acceptance of results is strict. It can be said to be the key project with the strongest support in the special development fund of Zhangjiang National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone.

With the support of this key project from government units, BRL Medicine has established a gene editing and cell therapy technology transformation platform with globally leading standards; it is also actively conducting related research on clinical treatments, accelerating the development of world-leading immune cell therapy and gene therapy products.

Gene Editing and Cell Therapy Become the "New风口" of Biomedical Industry Development

It is precisely because of the great prospects of gene editing that China has actively planned research in related fields of gene editing in terms of policy. A series of plans such as the "13th Five-Year Plan for National Science and Technology Innovation," the "13th Five-Year Special Plan for Biotechnology Innovation," the "13th Five-Year Plan for Biotechnology Industry Development," and the "13th Five-Year Plan for National Strategic Emerging Industries Development" explicitly stated that the development and application of gene editing technology should be given priority.

At present, the development of gene editing and cell therapy related products is in its infancy globally. The development of related cell production processes and GMP manufacturing is a crucial step in the transformation process. It is also the only way for gene editing and cell therapy technologies to gain approval from drug regulatory authorities, enter clinical trials, and achieve commercialization. Therefore, building a world-class process development and pilot production platform for gene and cell therapy products that meets GMP requirements is essential for the future development of BRL Medicine.

After a two-year key project construction period, BRL Medicine has successfully built five proprietary technology platforms: a gene editing tool development platform, a hematopoietic stem cell gene editing platform, a non-viral targeted integration CAR-T platform, a universal cell platform, and an enhanced T-cell platform. It also possesses a 7,000-square-meter GMP pilot production base and an operational team of over 200 people, strongly ensuring that innovative research achievements can be quickly transformed and applied.

Currently, all major platforms have laid out corresponding product pipelines and achieved scaled production of clinical-grade gene and cell therapy products. BRL Medicine has achieved significant innovative breakthroughs with international leadership and China-based originality in gene-editing therapeutic products and cell therapy products incubated on its platform. Notably, the clinical trial for the gene-editing treatment of β-thalassemia (shortened as "thalassemia") has shown initial success. This marks the first time in Asia that thalassemia has been treated using gene-editing technology and the world’s first successful case of treating severe β0/β0 type thalassemia with CRISPR gene-editing technology.

Schematic Diagram of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Platform

Integrating Innovation Platforms, Building a Healthy Future

Regarding the Passing of the Key Project Acceptance of Zhangjiang Special Fund,BRL MedicineCEO Xi Zaixi said"BRL Medicine, as a company focusing on gene therapy and cell drug research and development, has received special development funding from the Zhangjiang National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone. This indicates that BRL Medicine's self-innovation capabilities and future development potential in the field of gene editing and cell therapy have gained high recognition and affirmation from the government. It also reflects the government's strong support for the development of the gene editing and cell therapy sub-sectors, further demonstrating the enormous development potential inherent in this industry."

The successful establishment of the gene editing and cell therapy technology transformation platform strongly ensures the transformation and implementation of the company's innovative gene and cell therapy products. It also assists the company’s pipeline products in following the drug development pathway for registration and application, with the potential to address the urgent clinical demand for new drugs, bringing hope of cure and recovery to a wide range of patients with genetic disorders and malignant tumors.

As a national high-tech enterprise, BRL Medicine has launched a global partnership program based on this platform, actively introducing industrial scientific research talents from around the world. Relying on the strong and sustainable original R&D capabilities of the School of Life Sciences at East China Normal University as the core driver for corporate development, BRL Medicine has co-built the "Shanghai Gene Editing and Cell Therapy Research Center" with East China Normal University. This further leverages the advantages of integrating industry, academia, and research to accelerate the training of top talents in innovative medicine, thereby driving product R&D innovation. Over the past five years, the company has generated more than 100 patent achievements, with five projects conducting investigator-initiated clinical trials in eight renowned hospitals, and multiple projects entering the IND application stage.

In the future, BRL Medicine will always focus on the corporate mission of "leading innovation with gene editing, developing breakthrough therapies, and benefiting all humanity." It will leverage its technical advantages and continue to concentrate on technology research and development to accelerate the rapid updating and iteration of its products. This effort aims to contribute to the rise of China's golden track in gene editing and cell therapy, benefiting patients with genetic disorders and malignant tumors worldwide.。