AstraZeneca announces plans for new innovations for China

British biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca will add 10 to 15 new projects to its R&D operations in China each year, reflecting its increased investment and level of commitment to the country, a senior company executive said in a recent exclusive interview.

Announcing Shanghai as a global strategic location for the company in February, AstraZeneca currently has R&D pipelines on 200 projects, which plays an important role in the company’s overall plan to develop new medicines for China and the world, said Sharon Barr, executive vice president of research and biopharmaceutical development at AstraZeneca during an interview in Shanghai on Friday.

AstraZeneca’s R&D activities in China have not only been 100% synchronized with the world, but also lead the global research and development of drugs for some high-prevalence diseases in China, such as cardiovascular diseases.

“We are excited that Shanghai has become AstraZeneca’s fifth global strategic site and integrates R&D, commercial and manufacturing activities. It will function as an important strategic center for the company’s global strategy, research and development and long-term growth,” Barr said.

Cambridge, Boston and Gaithersburg in the UK and Gothenburg in Sweden are the company’s four other strategic centers that also focus on research and development.

“Our presence here in Shanghai is absolutely critical to achieving our bold ambition for AstraZeneca to pioneer science and create revolutionary medicines,” Barr said. “Thanks to our pipelines and investments in Shanghai and throughout China, we continue to grow. We aim to bring at least 100 new drugs or indications to China in the next five years.”

China’s very rich, vibrant medical and healthcare ecosystem is very impressive, Barr said. As of 2023, AstraZeneca has entered into licensing agreements with nine innovative, engaging biotechnology companies in China with a total approximate value of $6.5 billion.

In the biopharmaceutical sector, the company has entered into three agreements with three Chinese biotechnology companies to develop potential new therapies in the areas of hypercholesterolemia, metabolic diseases and dysfunctions, weight management and cell therapy, respectively.

“The total expected value of the three contracts is USD 2 billion. But more importantly, it gives us the capabilities we need to create truly revolutionary medicines for patients around the world at an accelerated pace,” she said.

The AstraZeneca R&D China Science Day was held from Friday to Saturday in Shanghai, with the theme “Changing the lives of patients with chronic and rare diseases.”

About 50 leading experts, scientists and business leaders from Chinese research institutions, clinical research centers, local innovative enterprises and overseas universities attended the event to give academic presentations and discuss ways to accelerate cutting-edge scientific and medical research to benefit patients with chronic diseases and medical. rare diseases and facilitating global pharmaceutical innovation. The event attracted over 10,000 participants both on-site and online.

As of 2022, the AstraZeneca R&D China Science Day has been held five times, achieving progress in scale, impact and depth of academic exchange every year.