Fuxiang Medical: Pioneering a New Silk Road in Consumer Healthcare with Silk Fibroin Innovation

The General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinions on Developing the Silver Economy and Enhancing the Well-being of the Elderly” (Guo Ban Fa [2024] No. 1) (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”), which explicitly proposes the development of the anti-aging industry. Senior industry experts believe that this marks the first time the state has supported the development of anti-aging-related industries, holding significant importance for the future growth of the anti-aging sector. As “sustainable regeneration” becomes an instinct embedded in the genetic code of growth, and as “anti-aging demands” are gradually being met across key niche markets, expanding business directions and market layouts aimed at restoring, improving, or enhancing human health—backed by national and governmental support—has clearly become a crucial mission for medical enterprises in the era of biomaterials.

In the “14th Five-Year Plan” for the Development of National Strategic Emerging Industries issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, cell- and tissue-inductive biomaterials were included in the “Guidance Catalogue of Key Products and Services for Strategic Emerging Industries,” and silk fibroin was incorporated into the key special project on “Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment and Biomedical Materials.” Silk fibroin is a protein derived from silk; its degradation products are amino acids that can be absorbed by the human body. It is safe, non-toxic, and has been clinically approved for applications such as surgical sutures and wound repair. In 2021, Galderma, a global leader in dermatological healthcare, actively pursued the development of next-generation biostimulatory fillers based on silk fibroin technology, which provide immediate and significant volumizing effects while also promoting tissue regeneration.

Currently, the first generation of medical aesthetic filler products on the market, represented by hyaluronic acid (HA), primarily focuses on shaping and filling. While these products offer excellent filling effects, they lack anti-aging and regenerative properties. The second generation, including products such as Sculptra (poly-L-lactic acid, PLLA-based), Ellansé (polycaprolactone, PCL-based), Ru Bai Angel, and AestheFill, is characterized by biodegradable synthetic polymers like PLLA and PCL, as well as products that directly supplement Type III and Type I collagen. These work mainly by stimulating induced regeneration.As a natural biological macromolecule, silk fibroin possesses unique spatial structures that confer superior mechanical properties. Its distinct physiological activity and enhanced biocompatibility enable it to facilitate signal-induced cellular regeneration and scaffold-induced tissue regeneration. This dual mechanism achieves both filling and regenerative anti-aging effects, positioning silk fibroin as a promising candidate for third-generation medical aesthetic filler materials. Silk fibroin-based medical aesthetic products are poised to become the next star performers in the consumer healthcare market.

As a global leader and industry benchmark in silk fibroin biomaterials, Fuxiang Sitai Medical Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Fuxiang Medical”) has consistently remained at the forefront of the industry. By collaborating with top-tier Chinese research institutions such as Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, and Zhongshan Hospital, the company has achieved numerous breakthroughs in original innovation from 0 to 1. It continues to expand the technological advancements and application boundaries of silk fibroin, positioning it as a prominent “Chinese calling card” among new raw materials in biotechnology.

In recent years, to address the technological bottlenecks in the silk fibroin industry, Fuxiang Medical has adhered to original innovation. Over a period of more than ten years, it has achieved green manufacturing of high-molecular-weight, high-purity silk fibroin, establishing a complete industrial chain spanning basic research, industrialization, and commercial product translation for implantable-grade silk fibroin. As the drafter of the Chinese industry standard "Tissue Engineering Medical Devices—Silk Fibroin," Fuxiang Medical has solidified its position as a leader in China’s medical regenerative silk fibroin sector. Furthermore, Fuxiang Medical is currently drafting international standards for silk fibroin and provides comprehensive services—including silk fibroin raw materials, technologies, and innovative solutions—to numerous biotechnology companies worldwide, thereby accelerating the development of a globally leading innovation ecosystem in the healthcare industry. Through years of accumulation, Fuxiang Medical has established three core advantages:

● Technological Advantages: Achieves real-time, precise regulation of β-sheet structures, thereby mastering the "soft-to-hard material modulation" applicable to regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This technology resolves the challenges associated with the preparation, storage, and transportation of high-molecular-weight silk fibroin, enabling controllable molecular weight, narrow distribution, high precision, elevated active ingredient content, and enhanced functionality, positioning it at a globally leading level.

● Process Advantages: The new second-generation automated production process replaces dialysis-based desalting, reducing production costs and labor hours. It cuts processing time by over 98%, lowers process costs by 90%, and ensures stable batch-to-batch consistency.

● Methodological innovation: For the first time, we have introduced rheology-based testing technology combined with our self-developed Favorsun SmartMolFit “Multi-Directional Intelligent Computing” series of AI software to precisely calculate molecular weight. This pioneering approach establishes a novel method for silk fibroin molecular measurement exclusive to “Favorsun Medical,” setting an industry precedent and securing a leading market position.

From a global perspective on the development of silk fibroin science, China and the United States are far ahead. In the U.S., David L. Kaplan’s team at Tufts University is prominent, while in China, Professor Shao Zhengzhong of Fudan University stands as his peer. Notably, Professor Shao was the first to publish research findings on silk in Nature in 2002, marking a new chapter for polymer science research from mainland China in top-tier international natural science journals. As the scientific founder of Fuxiang Medical, he will continue to drive the industrialization of the latest research advancements in silk fibroin applications at Fuxiang Medical.

As a pioneer in the silk fibroin sector, Fuxiang Medical has been deeply engaged in this field for many years, gradually building a comprehensive industrial platform covering the entire silk fibroin supply chain and achieving the industrial translation of high-end medical biomaterial products based on silk fibroin. The R&D team at Fuxiang Medical consists entirely of graduates from top-tier "985" and "211" universities in China, with over 90% holding master’s or doctoral degrees, providing a solid scientific foundation. The company’s founders, Dr. Liu Yezhuo and Ms. Yang Wenhua, studied directly under Professor Shao Zhengzhong. The entire team is dedicated to rigorous research, continuously breaking through technical barriers via proprietary patented technologies, which has significantly propelled industry development. With the ongoing addition of talents possessing industrialization expertise, Fuxiang Medical is well-positioned to accelerate product commercialization and sustain iterative innovation.

Leading technology attracts top-tier talent. Mr. Zhang Shuaixin, former Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Jiangsu Wuzhong (600200.SH), a publicly listed company, has officially joined Fuxiang Medical as CEO and Co-founder. Mr. Zhang previously held strategic investment and management roles at the headquarters of China Grand Enterprises, Kunming Pharmaceutical Group, and Jiangsu Wuzhong. During his tenure at Jiangsu Wuzhong, he was responsible for formulating the medical aesthetics strategy and establishing its medical aesthetics division, leading the entire process of investment cooperation and introduction for HARA hyaluronic acid and the recently approved Aesthefill collagen-stimulating injection. Currently, at Fuxiang Medical, he oversees overall corporate commercial planning and product market strategy formulation. Strategically, the company is committed to innovation and internationalization, further focusing on core manufacturing and R&D operations, while seizing opportunities to prioritize layout in the vertical sector of consumer healthcare, aiming to create globally pioneering medical products originating from China. The company’s first product is expected to receive approval and launch rapidly in the near future. Leveraging high-quality raw materials, the company will build its product matrix around various application fields.

In the future, Fuxiang Medical will be dedicated to expanding the broader applications of silk fibroin in the medical field, so as to promote technological advancements in areas such as tissue (organ) regeneration and “soul downloading” (brain-computer interface applications). Through in-depth research and application of silk fibroin, Fuxiang Medical aims to drive innovation in medical technology, bring more convenient and efficient medical services to patients, and improve people’s quality of life and health standards.

The consumer healthcare industry is flourishing, with the iterative advancement of upstream technological achievements gradually becoming the industry’s guiding force. Compared to other brands and consumer products, silk fibroin is an emerging material that has gained prominence in recent years. For Fuxiang Medical, this reflects a long-standing historical mission adhered to with persistence. “Striving for Perfection and Sincerity, Pursuing Progress and Goodness,” the company is grounded in fundamental research on silk fibroin, driven by R&D capabilities, and linked to end-stage industrial translation. This sense of mission injects fresh vitality into the consumer healthcare sector, instills greater confidence, and is poised to propel Fuxiang Medical to become a “shining star” on the new Silk Road of consumer healthcare.

Silk fibroin-based materials with different shapes exhibit distinct secondary and aggregated structures