Merck and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group Announce Strategic Collaboration to Drive Innovation in the Greater Bay Area

Guangzhou, March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Merck Group, a leading global science and technology company, signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (hereinafter referred to as “GPHL”), a leading Chinese biopharmaceutical and healthcare enterprise, in Guangzhou. Leveraging the development advantages and open opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in the biopharmaceutical sector, both parties will engage in in-depth exploration and collaboration in areas such as business model innovation, product research and development, and market expansion.

Photo: Group photo of guests from Merck and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited at the signing ceremony. From left to right: Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA; Mo Chunsheng, Head of Business Channel Development for Merck China Healthcare; Yannick Debes, Head of Strategy and Project Management Office for Merck China Healthcare; Rogier Janssens, Managing Director of Merck China Healthcare; Li Chuyuan, Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited; Zheng Jianxiong, Deputy General Manager of Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co., Ltd.; Liu Juyan, Deputy General Manager and Chief Engineer of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited; and Li Hong, General Manager of Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co., Ltd.

Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, stated: “As one of Merck’s most important strategic markets globally, China has long become a vital link in the global innovation chain. The innovative forces in China’s pharmaceutical and healthcare sector are unleashing tremendous development potential to the world. Through our collaboration with GPHL, a leader in this field, we aim to further strengthen the innovation capacity of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, improve access to high-quality medicines, and benefit more patients in China and around the globe.””

“Cooperation with Merck in the fields of biopharmaceutical R&D and distribution is a strategic choice for Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited to achieve innovative upgrading, sustainable development, future orientation, and enhanced internationalization,” said Li Chuyuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited.，“Looking ahead, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited will continue to leverage its strengths in pharmaceuticals and healthcare by establishing an advanced R&D system for innovative drugs, developing high-level innovative medicines and health products, promoting high-quality industrial development, accelerating its entry into the Fortune Global 500, and building a world-class biopharmaceutical and health enterprise with distinct industrial characteristics and a strong corporate culture, thereby better contributing to human health.”

As one of the most economically vibrant and open regions in China, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has emerged as a pioneering hub for the development of China’s biopharmaceutical industry. The region boasts significant industrial clustering advantages and a complete upstream and downstream supply chain, with unique strengths particularly in the research and development, manufacturing, and distribution of chemical drugs and biologics.

“The Greater Bay Area has become one of Merck’s most important strategic locations in China.””Rogier Janssens, Managing Director of Merck’s Healthcare business in China, stated, “The strategic partnership with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (GPHL) represents a significant step for Merck in deepening its presence in the Chinese healthcare market and continuously increasing its investment in innovation. We look forward to leveraging our respective strengths with GPHL to jointly explore greater possibilities in pharmaceutical innovation, collaboratively advance the future development of pharmaceutical retail, support the construction of a biopharmaceutical innovation ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and continue to deliver high-quality innovative medicines to more patients in China.””

In recent years, Merck has placed significant emphasis on strengthening ties with partners in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to support the development of a “Healthy GBA.” On November 15, 2019, the Merck Guangdong Innovation Center was officially launched, aiming to collaborate with partners across the innovation ecosystem—including local government industrial parks, incubators, academic institutions, and investment firms—to jointly advance innovative technologies and continuously accelerate Merck’s growth in the GBA. During the third China International Import Expo in 2020, Merck China Innovation Center released the White Paper on the Innovation Ecosystem of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, focusing on further strategic deployment in the region to promote industrial integration and innovative development.

Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited is"One of" China's Largest Pharmaceutical Companies, it has ranked first on the Top 100 Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry List for nine consecutive years, with an operating scale exceeding RMB 150 billion in 2020. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited has also been deeply rooted in the Greater Bay Area for many years, establishing its international headquarters in Macau and forging multi-level collaborative partnerships with the University of Hong Kong, the University of Macau, the Macau University of Science and Technology, and the Guangdong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Industrial Park. These efforts aim to further promote the integrated development of the pharmaceutical and health industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, striving to set a benchmark for health industry development in the region.

In addition to its strengths in traditional industries such as proprietary Chinese medicines and botanical drugs, as well as chemical raw materials and formulations, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited is vigorously developing research, development, and manufacturing of biologics and big health products, along with commercial logistics and distribution, and healthcare services. In recent years, the company has accelerated its internationalization efforts by leveraging global platforms such as the Davos Forum and the Boao Forum to strengthen engagement and collaboration with Fortune Global 500 companies. It has actively expanded its international network, establishing multiple joint ventures with Fortune Global 500 enterprises including McKesson, Baxter, and Hutchison Whampoa, and forming strategic partnerships with multinational corporations such as PepsiCo and Takeda.