Sanlian Biotech Secures Tens of Millions in Investment from Jinpu Capital, Filling International Gap in Protein Microarray Technology

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Sunlant Bioengineering has secured tens of millions of yuan in investment from Jinpu Investment. Sunlant Bioengineering is primarily engaged in the research and development, production, and sales of bio-protein microarrays (in vitro diagnostic reagents), providing innovative products and services for disease prevention, early detection, and diagnosis.

This round of investment will be primarily allocated to the construction of a production base spanning nearly 15,000 square meters in the Wuxi Airport Industrial Park. Upon completion, the company’s production capacity is projected to reach the billion-yuan level, with the industrial park expected to become operational in August 2019. Furthermore, the company will increase its investments in marketing and new product research and development, striving to establish itself as a leading domestic brand in China’s in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry.

In 2007, China’s in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry transitioned from a phase of independent manufacturing and standardized development into a period of rapid growth. In May of the same year, Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering Co., Ltd. was officially established. Over the following decade, Sunlant Bio undertook two projects under the National “863” Program and one major industrial project in Jiangsu Province, securing more than 40 patented technologies and 24 product registration certificates.

Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering Co., Ltd. has consistently adhered to independent research and development. When faced with monopolies on core raw materials, the company made significant investments to secure control over its supply chain. Years of deep industry engagement have enabled Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering Co., Ltd. to successfully develop the “Hard-Matrix Microarray Chemiluminescent Protein Chip Detection Technology Platform” and achieve its industrialization.

Building on this technological platform, Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering Co., Ltd. has developed diagnostic products for tumor markers, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, heart failure, infections, allergens, and autoimmune diseases, while establishing a comprehensive layout across the entire industry chain.

According to the head of Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering Co., Ltd., the microarray chemiluminescent protein chip technology platform features high throughput, high accuracy, high speed, and low cost. It enables simultaneous detection of multiple indicators, yielding more diagnostic information at the same cost and significantly improving disease detection rates.

For hospital patients, multi-analyte combined testing can reduce testing costs, improve diagnostic efficiency, and facilitate early disease screening at the primary care level. For the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry, this achievement fills a gap in the international field of multi-analyte combined testing and is expected to break the long-standing monopoly and technological blockade by foreign companies in China’s high-end testing market.

China's in vitro diagnostics industry is in a phase of rapid growth, with an annual growth rate of 15%–20%, significantly higher than the average growth rate of the pharmaceutical industry.

The in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry primarily comprises biochemical diagnostics, immunoassay diagnostics, and molecular diagnostics. Among these, the biochemical diagnostics sector is a highly competitive "red ocean" market characterized by significant product homogenization, with import substitution largely achieved. In the immunoassay diagnostics market, although chemiluminescence technology has emerged from its R&D incubation period and is gradually becoming the mainstream diagnostic method, the domestic chemiluminescent immunoassay industry remains in its early stages of development. Currently, the market is still dominated by imported brands such as Roche, Abbott, Beckman, and Siemens.

In recent years, biochip technology has become increasingly mature. Due to its advantages such as automation, miniaturization, high sensitivity, high throughput, high specificity, and low sample consumption, protein chip technology holds significant application potential in the early diagnosis of tumor markers, infectious diseases, allergens, and autoimmune diseases, and is considered a key research focus for future immunological diagnostics.

Research and development institutions worldwide have invested substantial human and financial resources in studying the clinical applications of protein microarrays. However, due to high technological barriers and complex manufacturing processes, only a handful of products have achieved large-scale clinical implementation to date.

By integrating protein microarray technology with chemiluminescence, Jiangsu Sunlant Bioengineering Co., Ltd. has launched the world’s first “Fully Automated Solid-Phase Microarray Chemiluminescent Protein Chip Detection System,” filling a global gap in the field of biochips for multi-analyte combined testing. Within less than three years since its market launch, the product has been adopted by nearly 400 leading hospitals and health examination institutions across China, earning widespread recognition from clinical experts.

Regarding this investment, Jiang Houjia, Business Director at Gopher Investment, stated: “In the chemiluminescence market for immunodiagnostics, imports still hold a dominant position. Leveraging Sunlant Bio’s technological advantages, its products can serve as effective substitutes for imported alternatives. Within a short period, Sunlant Bio has successfully achieved industrialization of its internationally pioneering ‘fully automated hard-matrix microarray chemiluminescent protein chip detection technology.’ Its products have significantly improved testing efficiency while reducing costs, earning widespread recognition from top clinical hospitals and experts in China. Beyond these technical strengths, we are also optimistic about the Sunlant Bio team’s strong execution capabilities and enterprising spirit. Looking ahead, Sunlant Bio will continue to invest in research and development, with a rich pipeline of product offerings.”