The 2017 International Pharmaceutical Innovation Forum (IPIF) Press Conference Held Successfully
On January 19, a press conference for the 2017 International Pharmaceutical Innovation Forum (IPIF) was successfully held in Nanjing, China. Sun Xing, Deputy Director of the Industrial Culture Development Center (ICDC) of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Huang Lan, Vice Mayor of Nanjing, and Eric Bouteiller, Chair of the R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC), and Qi Yuwei, District Chief of Jiangning District attended the press conference and delivered keynote speeches.
During the conference, Qi Yuwei introduced topics that media and the industry are particularly concerned about, covering the background, theme, as well as the overall scale and highlights of the upcoming Forum. These include the launch of a Coalition for Innovation, the announcement of the Declaration for Pharmaceutical Innovation, and the interpretation of the "Planning Guidelines for Medical Industry Development".
During the press conference, Sun Xing, Deputy Director of ICDC, pointed out that the Forum is a key supporting action in response to "Healthy China" and the 13th Five-Year Plan. As a major province for pharmaceutical manufacturing, Jiangsu Province has an excellent pharmaceutical industry infrastructure. The Forum aims to connect the medical resources within the province with the international resources. Pharmaceutical innovation will enhance the core competitiveness of Jiangsu’s pharmaceutical industry, promote the sustainable and healthy development of the industry and further accelerate the urban transformation and upgrade of the province.
Huang Lan, Vice Mayor of Nanjing City, expressed that China encourages the development of innovative drugs, and is building an integrated government-industry-university-research innovation system that is led by enterprises and is market-oriented. In the future, Nanjing will further connect Jiangning District with international pharmaceutical innovation resources, boost the upgrade of the pharmaceutical industry, and brand Jiangning as a district for pharmaceutical industry innovation. The government will further strengthen industry infrastructure, attract international pharmaceutical resources, and promote the development of the industry in this golden period.
Mr. Bouteiller delivered a speech on China's pharmaceutical R&D and the progress of preparations for the Coalition for Innovation. He stressed that RDPAC values the collaboration with ICDC and Nanjing City, and hopes to use this Forum as an opportunity to actively promote the integration of Chinese and foreign pharmaceutical resources. RDPAC will also encourage the connection between its member companies and Jiangsu’s medical resources to enhance the strength of China's pharmaceutical R&D capacity, and promote China's integration into the global innovation system. Bouteiller also pointed out that, in the meantime, the Coalition for Innovation is currently being organized and will be officially announced during the Forum. The Coalition brings together RDPAC’s member companies, domestic associations, Jiangning District government, and many other governmental and academic research institutions, with the aim of improving China's pharmaceutical innovation capacity and providing support for the development of an innovative pharmaceutical industry in Jiangsu.
In October of last year, RDPAC worked with Chinese stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry to jointly conduct research and produce a special report entitled, “Fostering a Sustainable Ecosystem for ‘Healthy China 2030’”. This report lays out a framework for establishing a drug innovation ecosystem and assesses current and future trends in China’s drug innovation in the context of the global innovation landscape. This report will serve as a foundation for the Declaration for Pharmaceutical Innovation, and will provide the direction for future work of the Coalition for Innovation.
The most important outcome of establishing and promoting a sustainable drug innovation ecosystem will be its benefit to patient wellbeing. The medical industry is advancing at a rapid rate, and how to translate those achievements to patient value should be under consideration by all industry stakeholders. The 13th Five-Year Plan identifies bio-pharmaceuticals as one of China’s six strategic emerging industries, and Healthy China 2030 and the 13th Five-Year Plan for Medical Industry Development further emphasize the connection between medical industry development and the health and wellbeing of citizens by identifying the development of the bio-pharmaceutical industry as a core pillar to support China’s goal of innovation.
In this context, the International Pharmaceutical Innovation Forum is scheduled to be held March 22 to 23 in Jiangning District, Nanjing City. The Forum is co-hosted by ICDC of the MIIT, the Nanjing Municipal Government, as well as RDPAC. The Forum will be themed, “promoting international pharmaceutical industry cooperation, and accelerating China's integration into the global innovation system”. The Forum will include sessions that feature the interpretation of the “Planning Guidelines on Pharmaceutical Sector Development”, and explore the pathway to promote pharmaceutical innovation. These sessions aim to boost the integration of China's pharmaceutical R&D into the global R&D community, and further enhance the core competitiveness of China’s pharmaceutical industry. Senior-level officials from the MIIT, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) will attend the Forum. Global CEOs of RDPAC’s member companies and experts from industry associations and research institutions will also participate in this Forum.
