Suzhou Wuzhong Welcomes Major Domestic Ophthalmic Pharma Firm with Annual Capacity of 455 Million Units

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Pharmaceutical Engineering】 With a maximum annual production capacity of 455 million doses, the facility is equipped with dedicated ophthalmic drug production lines and highly automated, intelligent equipment and facilities, ensuring that full-capacity manufacturing requires no more than 130 workers... Recently, the new plant of ophthalmic pharmaceutical manufacturer Ocumension Therapeutics officially opened in the Wuzhong Development Zone, Suzhou.
 

On January 17, 2020, Ocumension held a groundbreaking ceremony for its manufacturing facility in the Development Zone. In less than two years, a 30,000-square-meter ophthalmic production base was completed, with a maximum annual production capacity of 455 million doses. Reportedly, Phase I of the project involved an investment of RMB 420 million. The facility is primarily dedicated to the production of single-dose and multi-dose ophthalmic drops, comprising four production workshops and featuring 12 designed production lines.
 

According to the introduction, the new facility has consolidated its advantage in the field of innovative ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, preparing for the subsequent commercial launch and production of other products, including creams and medical devices.
 

Since 2021, Ocumension Therapeutics has consistently delivered satisfactory results in advancing its product pipeline and commercialization efforts. To date, Ocumension has established a comprehensive ophthalmic drug portfolio comprising 20 drug assets covering both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye, among which six products have advanced to Phase III clinical trials and two have entered real-world studies, demonstrating a clearly staged clinical development pipeline; the New Drug Application (NDA) for its core product, OT-401 (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant), has been accepted by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE); additionally, the Company has entered into a product acquisition agreement with Novartis to secure all rights in mainland China for two ophthalmic drugs, Emadine® and Betoptic®, along with the transfer of corresponding manufacturing technologies. This acquisition is expected to significantly enhance Ocumension’s R&D and manufacturing capabilities within the industry, laying a solid foundation for the future production and export of its pipeline products.
 

Going forward, the company will take root in Wuzhong and make its due contributions to the region's development. It is understood that the development zone, serving as the primary driver of Wuzhong's economic growth, is located in the core area of Wuzhong District. Closely aligned with the objectives of building the "Four Highlands" and advancing into the "First Echelon," it has designated biomedicine as one of its pillar industries.
 

In recent years, Wuzhong District has continuously empowered the biopharmaceutical and comprehensive health sectors, steadily enhancing the "Wuzhong Pharma Port" brand. The Development Zone has established a "3+3" industrial development strategy, and has currently formed a development layout comprising an eastern biopharmaceutical acceleration base, a central biopharmaceutical industrialization base, and a western pharmaceutical inspection and testing base.
 

Among them, the biomedical industrial park in the eastern zone, with a planned area of 2,888 mu and a supporting special biomedical fund of 5 billion RMB, will establish a biopharma acceleration base that comprehensively develops the full value chain of large molecules (peptides, antibodies), small molecules, cell therapy, and gene therapy. The biomedical industrialization base in the central zone has introduced enterprises such as Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wuzhong Pharmaceutical, and Ocumension Therapeutics, covering drug formulations, pharmaceutical...Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient...and other products. The Western Pharmaceutical Testing and Inspection Base has gathered a number of enterprises such as WuXi AppTec and Xishan Zhongke, forming a specialized industrial cluster for preclinical contract research outsourcing services.