Eleven Organizations Unite to Advance CGT Industry Upgrade: Fifth Stop of Park Tour Held in Beijing
Yeasen
Tool Enzyme Raw Materials and Diagnostic Product R&D, Manufacturer
VectorBuilder
Gene Delivery Technology Developer
Life Biosciences
Experimental Animal Research Service Provider
Legend Capital
Early-stage venture capital and growth-stage private equity investment institutions
“One person can run fast, but a group can go further.”
On the afternoon of March 5, jointly hosted by HIEA, Hangzhou Xingcheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yeasen, LePure Introduction, Austar Group, VectorBuilder, Beijing T&L Biotechnology Co.,Ltd., Life Biosciences, and Legend Capital, and organized by VCBeat New Medicine【No Need to Compete Fiercely, Go Further】 The Fifth Stop of the CGT Industry Upgrade Series · Park Tour Event Was Held at Beijing Xinshengchao Innovation Center.
A consortium of leading enterprises deeply entrenched in the CGT industry chain has jointly spearheaded this initiative, pooling their unique core competencies and high-quality resources. The collaboration spans critical sectors, including R&D of high-end equipment technologies, establishment of curated raw material supply chains, integrated supply of efficient consumables, refinement and upgrading of precision manufacturing processes, and advanced, rigorous testing technologies. The aim is to collectively inject strong momentum and provide robust support for product development and industrial upgrading among innovative CGT pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Liu Xiao, Vice President of Business and Marketing at Hangzhou Xingcheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. & Deputy Director of the MAH Special Committee of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management AssociationServing as the moderator of this event, and under the guidance of Dr. Liu Xiao, the conference featured in-depth dialogue and discussions spanning multiple dimensions, from emerging trends in industry investment and financing to CMC process optimization and industrialization. The event transcended one-way information dissemination, instead fostering intense intellectual exchange and interactive engagement. Distinguished guests actively participated in the discussions and shared their insights, creating a dynamic atmosphere marked by recurring highlights and vibrant energy.
Deputy Director of the MAH Special Committee, China Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management Association
This event received significant attention and support from the leadership of Beijing Changping Science Park and Beijing Zhongguancun Life Science Park.Wang Ying, General Manager of Beijing Changping Science and Technology Park Development Co., Ltd. and Chairman of Beijing Zhongguancun Life Science Park Development Co., Ltd.He stated that Beijing and Changping District prioritize the cell and gene therapy sector, having provided multiple policy incentives, with particularly strong support for companies in the clinical trial phase. Changping Science Park has integrated top-tier academic resources and established a clinical translation platform. Multiple industrial parks have been planned within the Life Valley Park and its surrounding areas. These parks are equipped with CXO service platforms and have introduced specialized direct-investment funds, aiming to optimize industrial space, remove policy barriers, and facilitate the commercialization of technological achievements by enterprises. Everyone is welcome to start businesses in Changping.
Ms. Ma Li, General Manager of NeoNest Innovation CenterLaunched in 2019 under the guidance of the Beijing Municipal Government, Newborn Nest aims to explore new incubation models for early-stage innovation and industrialization in the biopharmaceutical sector. Adopting a “fund + incubator” model, it connects academia, clinical practice, regulatory affairs, and industry to build a comprehensive ecosystem. It provides resources such as shared office spaces, exhibition areas, and laboratory platforms, effectively reducing initial costs for startup projects. In particular, its three-tier laboratory platform is fully equipped with R&D instruments, eliminating the need for additional purchases and significantly saving capital. Currently, numerous early-stage projects with diverse backgrounds have successfully settled in and made substantial progress. Newborn Nest continues to attract various stakeholders to join forces in building a life science innovation cluster and jointly advancing drug development and industrialization.
"Key CMC Considerations in Gene Therapy Drug Development"
“Domestically and even internationally, we are the only company capable of achieving a chromatography-free process.”
Key Highlights: As a CDMO specializing in the field of Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT), Hangzhou Xingcheng Biotechnology leverages the robust technical foundation of Hangzhou Jiayin to address challenges in process understanding and regulatory compliance within China’s CGT CDMO market. Through years of R&D, the team has secured multiple R&D approvals and certifications from the FDA and the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE). Notably, it has achieved breakthroughs in AAV vector production by employing continuous lysis equipment and an optimized suspension culture process for 293 cells. This approach enables plasmid production without chromatography, significantly elevating quality standards—particularly in supercoiled plasmid ratios and polymer content in formulations—to internationally advanced levels.
The company currently operates laboratories and GMP-compliant production lines, possessing large-scale manufacturing capabilities that cover a variety of viral vectors, such as AAV, lentivirus, and adenovirus. It demonstrates competitive advantages in reducing costs, improving production efficiency, and meeting stringent quality requirements. Furthermore, Dr. Li emphasized the importance of selecting high-quality cell lines during the cell thawing phase and shared specific cases of process optimization, showcasing the team’s unique solutions to issues such as PolyA tail loss in mRNA constructs, along with their rigorous quality control system.
▲ Li Junhui | Xingcheng Biotechnology, Vice President of Science, Technology and Production, CTO
"Construction and Evaluation of Large Animal Brain Disease Models"
“Consistency and stability are both the ultimate benchmarks and the original starting point.”
Key Highlights: Life Biosciences continues to deepen its expertise in experimental technologies, demonstrating exceptional capability in constructing highly accurate and stable animal models of brain diseases. Centered on stereotaxic injection techniques, the company meticulously develops animal models that recapitulate the characteristics of various neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These models ensure high consistency and stability, enabling the provision of large-scale cohorts with varying disease severities to meet customer requirements.
Meanwhile, Life Biosciences actively collaborates with multiple research partners to establish a robust technical support system. This system encompasses comprehensive analyses using advanced imaging technologies, such as CT and MRI, as well as research in cutting-edge fields including stem cell therapy and adeno-associated virus (AAV) treatment. In the drug evaluation phase, the company not only joins forces with partners to conduct radiopharmaceutical synthesis research but also employs stereotactic injection to deliver drugs precisely to lesion sites. For instance, in Parkinson’s disease research, drugs are directly injected into the substantia nigra, thereby authentically simulating clinical pathological conditions and effectively assessing drug efficacy.
▲ Gao Jinquan | Deputy General Manager of Life Biosciences and General Manager of the Large Animal Model Development Department
【Panel 1】
How to Join Forces to Support CGT Companies
From IND to BLA: Stable, Fast, and Cost-Effective?
During the Panel 1 session, byDr. Xiao LiuModerator: On the topic of how CGT companies can achieve stability, speed, and cost-efficiency in the process from IND to BLA, the participating guestsLi Junhui, Vice President of Production and CTO at Hangzhou Xingcheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Tan Guosheng, Key Account Director at Yeasen; Yu Xiaoyu, R&D Director of BioService CGT at LePure Introduction; Kang Wei, Vice President of Strategic Consulting at Austar Group; Geng Shaojun, Founder of Beijing T&L Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.; Li Wenxian, Deputy General Manager of the Scientific Research Services Department at Life Biosciences; and Li Lianjie, Business Development Director at VectorBuilder.Presented a multidimensional perspective.
On “Stability”: At the industry chain level, the emphasis is on “maintaining stability,” which means ensuring compliance and operational consistency during the commercial production phase. For instance, Austar focuses on providing GMP-compliant, safe, and reliable contamination control strategies and pharmaceutical equipment, helping enterprises build robust quality management systems. Meanwhile, conference participants noted that stability and cost-efficiency are not mutually exclusive; stability serves as the foundation, and long-term cost savings can only be achieved on the basis of clear strategy and mature technology. For example, by collaborating with CDMOs possessing extensive experience and technical expertise, CGT companies can avoid pitfalls in critical technological stages, thereby reducing costs while maintaining project stability.
Regarding “speed,” the panelists noted that pursuing rapid advancement in the short term is unrealistic, particularly in the current industry landscape, where companies are prioritizing steady, incremental progress to gradually accumulate competitive advantages. During certain specific phases, such as the ramp-up period of technological R&D, there exists a dynamic balance between stability and speed; short-term haste may lead to long-term instability. Consequently, achieving progress while maintaining stability and appropriately managing the pace of development has become a consensus.
When referring to “savings,” the trend of domestic substitution brings cost advantages. However, under the premise of ensuring product quality, savings are reflected not only in direct price reductions but also in reduced time and validation costs. By focusing on their core technologies, optimizing processes, and strengthening quality management, supply chain companies provide cost-effective Chinese-made products and services while ensuring stable product performance and efficient delivery. This helps cell and gene therapy (CGT) companies achieve effective overall cost savings throughout the process from IND to BLA, avoiding time delays and additional expenditures caused by quality issues.
【Panel 2】Discussing Industrial Upgrading:
Key CMC Considerations and Strategies for Gene and Cell Therapy
Regarding the topic "Discussing Industrial Upgrading: Key CMC Points and Solutions for Gene and Cell Therapies,"Fu Rui, Head of the Stem Cell Biology Department at Beijing Tuojie; Li Junhui, Vice President of Production and CTO at Xingcheng Biotechnology; Tan Guosheng, Key Account Director at Yeasen; Yu Xiaoyu, R&D Director of BioService CGT at LePure Biotechnology; Bai Xinyan, Quality Director at T&L Biotechnology; Liu Bin, Chief Operating Officer at Shenyan Biotechnology; Zhu Jing, Head of Clinical Research at Kunlun Medicine, inDr. Liu Xiaounder the moderation of, a discussion was held.
Innovative enterprises emphasize the decisive significance of market sensitivity and user orientation, regarding them as the source of power driving innovation and growth. They maintain that while actively deploying frontier technologies and accelerating product iterations, it is essential to keep a finger on the pulse of the market, deeply explore and precisely pinpoint user needs, thereby ensuring the effectiveness and applicability of new products. This approach helps mitigate the risk of low market acceptance due to insufficient foresight, while fully balancing market demand, brand value, and patient affordability in pricing strategies.
Supply chain enterprises advocate leveraging lean management and technological innovation on top of solid foundational service capabilities to help partners rapidly respond to market trends, shorten product time-to-market, and achieve efficient resource allocation and cost control. They emphasize aligning with the client’s development stage to provide reliable supply chain assurance, while flexibly adapting to changing demands, jointly mitigating risks, and co-building a mutually beneficial and symbiotic collaborative ecosystem.
Both parties recognize that “stability, speed, and cost-efficiency” constitute the core logic of interactive growth. All parties must seek optimal collaboration models through dynamic interaction, continuously optimize and integrate resources, and jointly build a healthy and vibrant industrial ecosystem.
“Progress and Trends in the CGT Industry from an Investment Perspective”
"Not only to survive, but also to thrive."
Key Takeaways: An analysis of the progress and trends in the CGT industry from an investment perspective indicates that, despite the challenges posed by the capital winter, the fundamentals of the CGT sector remain positive.
China’s CGT industry accounts for approximately 40% of the global pipeline. Particularly in fields such as cell and gene therapy, Chinese enterprises have risen rapidly, with some approved products exhibiting negligible technological gaps compared to international advanced standards. Meanwhile, Chinese CXO companies and upstream supply chains have distinguished themselves in fierce market competition by leveraging cost-effective talent, cost advantages, and innovative capabilities.
However, the industry also faces challenges such as excessive concentration of therapeutic targets. This phenomenon is an inevitable stage in industrial development. In the future, technological and business model innovations will be achieved based on me-too/me-better strategies, while industry progress will be advanced through continuous optimization of delivery systems and improvement of regulatory frameworks.
Legend Capital and other investment firms emphasize the importance of becoming industry investors with deep financial expertise. They have actively invested in over 160 companies across multiple sectors, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and IPO services, thereby building a complete industrial chain dedicated to the research and development, production, and sales of new drugs and medical devices. Through in-depth collaboration and empowerment—such as providing consulting services in finance, management, and legal affairs—these portfolio companies join forces to drive industrial development.
【Panel 3】Under the New Circumstances,
How Can CGT Companies Effectively “Raise and Spend Money”?
Qi Ye, CEO of Evolution Medical; Zhao Xueqiang, Co-founder of Huaxia Yingtai; Xie Xingwang, Founder of Kerui Biotech; Chen Xi, Senior Vice President of Zhongyin Technology; Zhang Yang, Director of the Healthcare Industry Group at CITIC SecuritiesandModerator: Zou Xi, Investment Director at Legend CapitalSharing on this topic.
Amid the current capital winter and the severe landscape of the biopharmaceutical industry, it is particularly crucial for CGT companies to raise funds effectively and allocate resources wisely.
First, from a financing perspective, particularly in equity investment, companies must accurately define their positioning and enhance the uniqueness and competitiveness of their products and technologies. This ensures that each round of financing demonstrates tangible value growth, thereby bolstering investor confidence. Business development (BD) has emerged as another critical lever, especially for global asset transactions. As interest in pre-clinical stage projects wanes, companies need to build differentiated platforms and pipelines while rationally adjusting valuations to align with market trends.
At this point,“[No Need to Rat Race, Go Further] CGT Industry Upgrade Series · Park Tour Event Stop 5” Successfully Concluded!The event has fostered greater interconnectivity, resource sharing, and in-depth collaboration among enterprises. VB New Medicine will continue to collaborate with industry chain partners to host a series of events. Please stay tuned. We look forward to seeing you again at future events as we work together to go further!
▲Group Photo of Guests
▲ Highlights