【Lieyunwang(WeChat:ilieyun
) Beijing] November 20 report (by Wang Mingya)
November 18, Boya jiyin (Beijing) BiotechnologyTechnologyBoya Jiyin (hereinafter referred to as “Boya Jiyin,” English name: EdiGene) Gene Editing Therapy Base — Guangzhou Jiyin MedicalTechnologyBoya Ji Yin (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. was officially launched in the Nansha Industrial Park of Guangdong Medical Valley. The facility adheres to international GMP standards and, in accordance with Boya Ji Yin’s development and production processes, has established high-level cell preparation and gene-editing ultra-clean laboratories. It is reported that ET-01, Boya Ji Yin’s gene-editing therapeutic product aimed at curing β-thalassemia, will advance to clinical trials at this site.
Wei Wensheng, founder of Boya Ji Yin (Beijing) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., explained that the decision to establish a research and development center in Guangzhou was primarily driven by the presence of patients and partners in the region, as well as its favorable environment. He noted that Nansha has provided substantial support, expressing confidence that their projects would take root and flourish there.
According to the China Thalassemia Blue Book (2016), relevant data indicate that there are approximately 300,000 patients with severe and intermediate thalassemia in China, and around 30 million carriers of the thalassemia gene. Among them, the carrier rate exceeds 10% in provinces and regions such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Taiwan, with the rate in Guangxi even surpassing 20%. The products developed by Boya Jiyin (Beijing) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. include gene-editing therapies for hereditary diseases, such as β-thalassemia gene-editing therapy, as well as universal CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy) treatments for cancer.
Among these, Boya Jiyin’s gene-editing therapy ET-01 for β-thalassemia utilizes CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology. This therapy is also Boya Jiyin’s most advanced product and is expected to enter clinical trials in 2019.
Wei Wensheng stated that, as this gene-editing technology targets monogenic inherited diseases with a relatively well-defined patient population, it is expected to gain market approval more rapidly—potentially within three years of entering clinical trials—thereby achieving a leapfrog advancement in the global field of gene-editing therapies. Currently, this cutting-edge therapy is poised for GMP-compliant mass production at the manufacturing facility in Nansha.
CEO of Boya JiyinWei DongDr. [Name] delivered a keynote address, outlining the opportunities and challenges facing the company. In his view, gene-editing technology holds significant promise for application, with global commercial development of gene editing just beginning. As China’s first gene-editing company, Boya JiYin will focus closely on two core areas—gene-editing therapies for disease treatment and new drug development—with the aim of becoming a world-leading gene-editing enterprise. The establishment of its Guangzhou subsidiary, JiYin Medical, and the creation of the Guangzhou Gene-Editing Therapy Base represent a crucial step in this strategy, marking EdiGene’s transition from scientific research into a new phase of clinical application.
CEOWei DongGuiding guests on a tour of the GMP workshop (Image source: Provided by the company)
On that day, Wei Wensheng, founder of Boya Ji Yin; Xie Ming, Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Nansha Development Zone (Nansha Area of the Free Trade Zone); Pei Duanqing, Dean of the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Li Chunfu, a partner of Ji Yin Medical and known as the “Father of Thalassemia in China”; and others who have long been concerned about thalassemia patientsAngelQiu Lili, founder of the Mama Charity Fund, and Xu Cong, Executive Vice President of Lilly Asia Ventures, delivered speeches at the ceremony.
Boya JiYin, founded in 2015, is a biotechnology company specializing in genome editing.TechnologyThe Company possesses highly efficient genome editing technology, an advanced high-throughput genetic screening platform, and a comprehensive gene-knockout cell library, and is committed to providing a diverse range of products and services to patients, pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies, and the basic research community. Furthermore, Boya Jiyin (Beijing) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. collaborates with pharmaceutical companies and medical peers to jointly develop novel therapies for cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases.
In August this year, the company officially announced the completion of its Pre-B financing round amounting to hundreds of millions of yuan, led by Lilly Asia Ventures and followed by Huagai Capital. The lead investor in the company's Series A financing roundIDGCapital, China Everbright Limited, and Gong Hongjia, et al.InvestmentIndividuals continue to co-invest.
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