Mingxi County: China's Largest Taxane Production Base Files IPO Prospectus
When it comes to taxanes, many professionals are likely aware that they are star anticancer drugs, with their sales in China consistently remaining at$1 billion. Yet few are aware that approximately 80% of the taxane drugs in the Chinese market originate from a small county in Fujian Province—Mingxi County.
Official data shows that the products manufactured by Mingxi County's star enterprises, Nanfang Pharmaceutical and Zishanyuan Biotech, include “"Taxane-based anti-tumor drugs" account for 80% of the domestic market and 30% of the global market. To date, Mingxi County has become the largest production base for taxane compounds in China.。
How did Mingxi, a small mountainous county located on the southeastern side of the Wuyi Mountains, develop into China’s largest production base for taxane compounds? What strategic moves did it make correctly in the development of its biopharmaceutical industry? Furthermore, how will Mingxi respond and plan for the future following breakthroughs in the biosynthetic technology for paclitaxel?
Currently, Mingxi County has become an important domestic base for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). However, 30 years ago, it was merely a small mountainous county with a limited economic scale, a small population, and constrained resource endowments.
From the perspective of its development trajectory, the growth of Mingxi County’s biopharmaceutical industry can be divided into three stages.
In 1992, Mingxi County decided to develop the industry of Taxus chinensis cultivation and paclitaxel extraction.
On one hand, natural paclitaxel has been proven through years of research to be a highly effective, low-toxicity, broad-spectrum natural anticancer drug that can be used in the treatment of various cancers. Moreover, paclitaxel was approved by the U.S. FDA in 1992 for the treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, the development of the paclitaxel industry offers broad prospects and strong certainty.
On the other hand, natural paclitaxel can only be extracted from Taxus chinensis. Mingxi County is one of the major production areas with a relatively high concentration of wild southern yew (Taxus chinensis var. mairei), providing a solid foundation for developing the yew and paclitaxel industries.
Ideals are full and plump, but reality is lean and bony. To develop the Taxus chinensis and paclitaxel industries, Mingxi County must first address this primary issue.
At that time, natural paclitaxel had to be extracted from the bark of Pacific yew trees (stripping the bark would kill the trees). A complete course of treatment for a cancer patient required the bark of approximately 300 Pacific yew trees. Due to the enormous market demand for paclitaxel, pharmaceutical companies also had an extremely high demand for upstream Pacific yew resources.
However, wild yew trees grow slowly, face developmental challenges, and are extremely scarce, while breakthroughs in artificial and industrialized seedling cultivation of yew trees have yet to be achieved. For a time,Natural Paclitaxel Production Is Limited by Yew Trees。
Having identified the core issues, Mingxi County initiated research on the artificial propagation of Taxus chinensis var. mairei (Chinese yew) in 1992. After systematically resolving technical challenges in germination, fertilization, shading, and pest and disease control, the county successfully cultivated 25,000 saplings of Chinese yew by 1996. Since then, it has continuously encouraged farmers to participate in the development of Chinese yew bases, improved planting techniques year by year, and expanded the planting scale. Currently, Mingxi County has established China’s largest Chinese yew planting base, covering 41,600 hectares, including 7,733 hectares for medicinal raw material forests, 9,533 hectares for landscape seedlings and ornamental bonsai, and 24,333 hectares for timber forests.
Since then, Mingxi County has continued to attract enterprises related to Taxus chinensis (Chinese yew), selected and optimized new varieties, and developed T. chinensis for medicinal, timber, and ornamental purposes. Additionally, the Mingxi Chinese Yew Industry Research Institute was established to support the development of the Chinese yew industry.
With the issue of artificial cultivation of yew trees resolved, Mingxi County has placed the development of the paclitaxel industry on its agenda.In 1998, Mingxi County invited scholars from the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Fudan University to collaborate with local experts in developing techniques for the artificial cultivation of yew trees (Taxus chinensis) and the extraction of paclitaxel. In 1999, Professor Chen Jianmin’s team from Fudan University’s Department of Environmental Science successfully extracted high-purity paclitaxel from yew branches and leaves, achieving a technological breakthrough.
After years of meticulous preparation, Mingxi County finally established Nanfang Bio Co., Ltd. (the predecessor of Fujian Nanfang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) in 2001 and introduced paclitaxel extraction technology from Fudan University to produce paclitaxel.Prior to this, China had not mastered the extraction technology for paclitaxel and could only export raw materials from Taxus chinensis to foreign countries.. The emergence of Nanfang Pharmaceutical has changed this landscape and facilitated the upgrading of the Taxus chinensis industry in Mingxi County.
In addition to Nanfang Pharmaceutical, Mingxi County also introduced Fujian Zishanyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in 2008. According to reports, Zishanyuan Biotechnology is a national high-tech enterprise primarily engaged in the extraction and purification of substances such as natural paclitaxel, cephalomannine, and harringtonine, as well as the research, development, and production of anti-tumor drugs—including semi-synthetic paclitaxel, docetaxel, and cabazitaxel—and their intermediates. With the establishment of Zishanyuan Biotechnology,Mingxi County Has Established an Industrial Chain Spanning from the Source of Taxus chinensis to End-Product Paclitaxel。
To date, “"Taxane anticancer drugs" account for 80% of the domestic market and 30% of the global market. Mingxi County has also become the largest production base for taxane compounds in China.。
After cultivating and introducing Nanfang Pharmaceutical and Zishanyuan Biology, Mingxi County plans to intensify its efforts to develop the biopharmaceutical industry. To stand out from numerous competitors,Mingxi County has strategically targeted the niche segments of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates, leveraging the leading market positions of enterprises such as Nanfang Pharmaceutical to attract business establishment through industrial chain investment promotion and enterprise-referral-based investment initiatives.。
As of now, Mingxi County has introduced 25 biopharmaceutical companies, including Boyue Biotechnology, Ribao, and Furui Mingde. Among them, Boyue Biotechnology is an innovative pharmaceutical company centered on technological development, focusing on the research and development of innovative drugs and high-end generic drugs, as well asHigh-End Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)production, providing new drug R&D technical services to pharmaceutical companies both domestically and internationally. In Mingxi County, Boyue Bio has established a GSP-certified pharmaceutical distribution platform and an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production base.
Rebio is a biotechnology company engaged in the research and development, production, and sales of ribose- and nucleoside-based active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates. It was introduced to Mingxi in 2019. According to reports, Rebio invested in the construction of Mingxi RebO-Deoxyribose and Its DerivativesProduction project, with a total investment of approximately RMB 150 million.
Furui Mingdeis a comprehensive, modern pharmaceutical and chemical enterprise primarily focused on the field of pharmaceutical intermediates, providing high-end pharmaceutical intermediates and pharmaceutical excipients to domestic and international pharmaceutical companies. In 2022, Furui Mingde signed a cooperation agreement with Mingxi County, planning to invest RMB 550 million in Mingxi to constructHigh-End Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for Targeted TherapiesProduction Project, primarily manufacturing 10 products including novel targeted drugs for ovarian cancer and antipsychotic medications. Upon completion, the project will achieve expansion across the entire industry chain, from pharmaceutical intermediates to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished formulations.
Today, Mingxi County has introduced multiple enterprises in the fields of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates, including Boyue Biology, Ribobio, Minhe Pharmaceutical, Furui Mingde, Haishifu, and Haixi United Pharmaceutical, forming a biomedical industry cluster that covers pharmaceutical intermediates, APIs, and formulations. Leveraging its distinctive industries such as fluorinated pharmaceuticals, taxane intermediate APIs, and core raw materials for nucleic acid drugs, the Mingxi County biomedical industry cluster has been listed as one of Fujian Province’s specialized SME industry clusters.
Additionally,Mingxi County has also been designated as a key area for the layout of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates in Fujian Province, and as a provincial-level green production base for APIs jointly established in cooperation with the Provincial Medical Products Administration.。
Having achieved such accomplishments, Mingxi has not rested on its laurels. In 2024, it continued to ramp up the development of its biopharmaceutical industry, striving to build the “Fujian Pharmaceutical Valley,” a hub characterized by pharmaceutical intermediates as its foundation and featuring anticancer product lines and green active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
From a small mountainous town to a major domestic production base for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the transition seemed logical and inevitable. However, the path of industrial development is often fraught with thorns and difficulties. The biopharmaceutical industry in Mingxi County is no exception.
First, the paclitaxel content in Taxus chinensis from Mingxi County is extremely low, resulting in high extraction costs.To address this issue, Mingxi County supported Nanfang Pharmaceutical in identifying superior Taxus chinensis varieties. After tens of thousands of trials, “Nanfang No. 1” emerged as the standout candidate, with a paclitaxel content more than ten times higher than that of existing varieties. Meanwhile, with support from Mingxi County, Nanfang Pharmaceutical established a medicinal raw material forest base for Taxus chinensis, resolving challenges related to costs and supply chain stability. Currently, 3,000 mu of “Nanfang No. 1” Taxus chinensis have been planted, covering five townships in Mingxi County.
Secondly, the company's manufacturing processes and technologies are relatively outdated.For instance, Southern Pharmaceutical initially needed to extract paclitaxel from tree roots and bark, which could only be harvested once every five years; at the outset, extracting one kilogram of paclitaxel required 30–40 metric tons of raw material. In this regard,Mingxi County supports enterprises in innovating technologies and improving production processes, leveraging the power of science and technology to drive industrial development.。
Guided by the principle of innovation-driven development, Nanfang Pharmaceutical has collaborated with multiple universities to advance innovative technologies. By breakthroughs in production processes and the selection of superior Taxus chinensis (Chinese yew) varieties, Nanfang Pharmaceutical has achieved direct extraction of paclitaxel from yew needles, eliminating the need for bark and roots. This approach not only enhances paclitaxel extraction efficiency but also enables annual harvesting. Furthermore, through collaboration with university research teams, Nanfang Pharmaceutical has gradually mastered the "semi-synthetic paclitaxel" process, achieving a yield of approximately 3 kilograms of paclitaxel from 1 ton of yew raw materials.
Currently, through independent and collaborative R&D, Southern Pharmaceutical has achieved the capability to extract taxane compounds—including natural paclitaxel, semi-synthetic paclitaxel, and docetaxel—as well as other pharmaceutical intermediates from Taxus chinensis. Its product portfolio has gradually expanded from a single focus on paclitaxel to encompass a broader range of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for both anti-tumor and non-anti-tumor indications.
Furthermore, driven by a strengthened focus on innovation, Mingxi County’s industrial enterprises above designated size invested RMB 128 million in research and development (R&D) in 2023, secured 63 patents, and saw the value-added of high-tech industries account for the largest share of the total value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size in the city for eight consecutive years. Zishanyuan and Keshun were listed among the top 100 innovative private enterprises in the province, while six companies, including Kangmo, Ribobio, and Greenwell, were recognized as provincial-level specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The technology center of Haixi United Pharmaceutical was selected as a provincial-level enterprise technology center.
In addition to supporting enterprises in developing innovative technologies, Mingxi County has strengthened the construction of scientific and technological platforms to enhance their capacity for technological innovation. For instance, Mingxi County has continuously improved platforms such as postdoctoral workstations and practice bases, the Provincial Anti-Tumor Drug R&D Center of Nanfang Pharmaceutical, the Provincial Pneumatic Tools Product Quality Inspection Center, and the Taxus chinensis Industry Research Institute, thereby enhancing service capabilities.
Finally, due to factors such as location and transportation conditions, work and living environments, and compensation packages, Mingxi County faces the challenge of “difficulty in attracting and retaining talent.”. To address this issue, Mingxi County has adopted multiple approaches to shore up its weaknesses and build a talent hub.
First, Mingxi County has continuously strengthened its cooperation with universities and research institutes such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China Pharmaceutical University, and the Jiangsu Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in fields including ecological conservation, biomedicine, and polymeric biomaterials.
For example, in 2022, Mingxi County signed a cooperation agreement with the Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology to promote industry-academia-research collaborations between local enterprises in Mingxi and relevant institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). With the support of Mingxi County, companies such as Raybo Biotech, Greenwell, and Ginlong Technologies have established partnerships with the Beijing Institute of Chemistry, CAS, and the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, CAS, respectively, and have successfully secured project approvals under the CAS Science and Technology Service (STS) program.
Second, Mingxi County has leveraged the opportunities presented by the Shanghai–Sanming cooperation to vigorously establish a “Shanghai–Sanming Talent Enclave.” Specifically, by capitalizing on the high-quality resources of Fujian Nanfang Pharmaceutical and Shanghai Boyue Biotechnology, Mingxi County has established the Shanghai–Sanming Cooperation Talent Enclave within the Jinlinggu Science and Technology Industrial Park in Shanghai. This initiative explores a talent attraction model characterized by “talent based in Shanghai, projects located in Mingxi; R&D conducted in Shanghai, industrialization carried out in Mingxi.” It is reported that, leveraging the advantages of this “Talent Enclave,” Nanfang Pharmaceutical and Shanghai Boyue have initiated CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) collaborations for more than 10 high-end active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) varieties, with six already implemented.
In the first quarter of 2024, Mingxi County successfully attracted more than 200 biopharmaceutical talents by leveraging talent acquisition strategies such as “talent enclaves” and counterpart cooperation. It established provincial-level engineering technology research centers for anti-tumor active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and new fluorine materials, and jointly founded the province’s first academician workstation on fluorine chemical industry with the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry.
Third, Mingxi County has successively introduced a range of supporting policies for talent attraction and development, continuously optimizing talent evaluation and incentive mechanisms. For instance, it has strengthened support for innovation and entrepreneurship teams and high-level talents in the biopharmaceutical sector through initiatives such as the “Eight Min Talents” Cultivation Project. The county has also established databases of Mingxi-originated professionals and students to attract outstanding graduates from Xiamen University back to the region, explored mechanisms for flexible exchange of personnel between grassroots enterprises and headquarters, and adopted flexible approaches to introduce high-end expert talents.
As of August 2022, Mingxi County successfully leveraged policies such as the Talent Pool and Student Alumni Database to recruit 78 biomedical professionals with bachelor’s degrees or higher, including 3 master’s degree holders.
In addition, Mingxi County has supported the development of the biopharmaceutical industry through initiatives such as building high-quality industrial parks, introducing industry guidance funds and social capital, and optimizing the business environment. For instance, amid the current cooling of the investment and financing market, Mingxi County facilitated industry-finance matchmaking totaling RMB 390 million in 2023, with new corporate loans reaching RMB 110 million, a year-on-year increase of 6.61%. Furthermore, Mingxi County has provided support for the biopharmaceutical industry in areas such as land use, investment, talent acquisition, research and development, and housing through tailored support measures like “one policy per enterprise” and “case-by-case deliberation.”
After 30 years of persistent efforts, Mingxi County has finally transformed from a mountainous county town into a major domestic base for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). However, new challenges have now emerged before the county.
In recent years, synthetic biology has garnered significant attention, receiving repeated policy support and securing frequent financing in the capital market, thereby achieving rapid development. For instance, in the first half of 2024, more than 25 synthetic biology companies in China completed financing rounds.
Paclitaxel, as one of the most potent natural broad-spectrum anticancer agents, commands substantial market demand; however, its production relies on Taxus species (yew trees), resulting in limited yields. Consequently, since 1980, numerous scientists have dedicated themselves to research on the synthesis of paclitaxel, aiming to address challenges related to its supply and environmentally sustainable production.
To date, over a hundred research teams worldwide have investigated the synthesis of paclitaxel, and scientists have developed 11 distinct total synthetic routes for this compound. Notably, the research group led by Li Chuangchuang in China achieved the asymmetric total synthesis of paclitaxel via the shortest route, comprising 21 steps.
However, due to the excessive number of steps and low synthetic efficiency, these synthetic routes are not yet amenable to industrialization or commercialization. For instance, the total synthesis of paclitaxel by Baran’s team requires 24 steps, with a synthetic efficiency of 0.001%.
In January 2024, the journal Science reported the latest research findings from the collaborative team of Yan Jianbin and Lei Xiaoguang: they successfully identified the most challenging unknown enzyme in the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway, elucidated the formation mechanism of plant oxygen-containing four-membered ring structures that overturns traditional understanding, and established a heterologous biosynthetic route for baccatin III, a precursor for paclitaxel production.
This research achievement resolves the century-old challenge in paclitaxel biosynthesis., overcoming the key bottlenecks in achieving green and sustainable biosynthesis of paclitaxel through synthetic biology technologies, thereby paving the way for the green and sustainable production of paclitaxel using synthetic biology.
It is reported that companies such as Nanfang Pharmaceutical currently extract paclitaxel primarily through chemical synthesis, a process that requires yew trees (Taxus) as raw materials. In contrast, biosynthesis can increase paclitaxel yield and reduce reliance on natural resources (yew trees).
Undoubtedly, the commercialization of biosynthetic paclitaxel will significantly impact Mingxi County’s production base for taxane compounds.
To address this crisis, Mingxi County has previously developed Taxus chinensis for medicinal, timber, and ornamental purposes, thereby alleviating farmers’ concerns. Meanwhile, in February 2023, Mingxi County successfully signed a contract for an integrated nucleoside production and R&D project, with a planned investment of RMB 100 million.Establishment of a Synthetic Biology Translation Platform。
However, Mingxi County has not yet disclosed specific measures to address the situation in the paclitaxel industry. Nevertheless, it may consider introducing projects for the biosynthesis of paclitaxel. It is understood that the collaborative team of Yan Jianbin and Lei Xiaoguang achieved heterologous biosynthesis of baccatin III, a precursor in paclitaxel production, in tobacco plants. Mingxi County boasts abundant resources for tobacco leaf production. According to official information, Huofang Town in Mingxi County planned to cultivate 1,900 mu of tobacco leaves in 2024, with an intended procurement volume of over 4,400 dan.
Meanwhile, Mingxi County boasts extensive experience in paclitaxel production and possesses strong incentives to advance its synthetic biology-based paclitaxel project amid the crisis.
Danger is also opportunity. As for how the future will specifically unfold, we need to wait and see.