On July 27, we entered the 100-day countdown for the 3rd China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as the CIIE). As a major decision made by China to promote the new round of high-level opening-up, the CIIE is held as a bridge to link Chinese and global high-quality products and services. Given the epidemic of COVID-19 and the complicated external environment this year, China will show its persistent determination to open the market to the world by holding the CIIE on schedule.
Pharmaceuticals industry driven by innovation has always been one of the highlights of the CIIE. In addition, as a platform to boost international exchange and cooperation, CIIE has also highlighted the value of pharmaceutical innovation. It is reported that, Medical Equipment & Health Care Products exhibition area in the 3rd CIIE will be doubled compared with the 2nd session. As the leader of global pharmaceutical innovation, RDPAC member companies will continue to show their global innovative achievements in the 3rd CIIE. According to statistics, 16 RDPAC member companies have confirmed to participate in the exhibition, including Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, GSK, Xian-Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Merck, MSD, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda. These transnational pharmaceutical giants will provide Chinese patients with more cutting-edge global innovative achievements in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, immune system diseases, nervous system diseases, and infectious diseases. Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that, lots of RDPAC members will also show their respective progress made in the R&D of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines during the CIIE, further reflecting the unique value of pharmaceutical innovations in response to public health crisis.
Global cooperation, stepping up the R&D and innovation of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs
Compared with the former two sessions, the 3rd CIIE is characterized by “exhibition in exhibition”, a specific zone set in the exhibition area with different themes. Given the epidemic of COVID-19, the “public health and epidemic prevention exhibition area” in the Medical Equipment & Health Care Products exhibition area has attracted great attention, and will display internationally advanced public health prevention products, technologies, services and hot products exerting critical roles in COVID-19 prevention. It is reported that, lots of RDPAC enterprises will display their innovative products and technologies related to epidemic prevention in this special zone.
In the face of COVID-19 epidemic, the R&D of drugs and vaccines has become the key effective means to fight against the disease and save lives. Since the epidemic of COVID-19, RDPAC member companies have made constant endeavors to innovate and develop COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, and cooperate in scientific research extensively based on technical advantages in pharmaceutical innovation and global resources, and seek for optimal solutions, to cope with this global crisis. According to incomplete statistics, 19 RDPAC member companies have announced a total of 46 items of progress made in the innovation and R&D against COVID-19, including 12 in the R&D of vaccines, 21 in the R&D of drugs, 6 in the plasma derived therapy and monoclonal antibody immunotherapy as well as 2 in the epidemiological studies of COVID-19. RDPAC member companies will keep working on the innovation and R&D of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs, and contributing to global fight against the epidemic.
Benefiting Chinese patients with global pharmaceutical innovative achievements as soon as possible
Adhering to the industrial criteria centered on patients, RDPAC member companies have been engaged in introducing global innovative achievements, and benefiting Chinese patients with global pharmaceutical innovation, while the CIIE has no doubt provided a platform to show these global innovative achievements. According to statistical data, 7 RDPAC member companies participated in the 1st CIIE, but the quantity has risen to 13 in the 2nd CIIE, and the booth area has exceeded 3,600m2. So far, 16 RDPAC member companies have confirmed to participate in the CIIE, and the exhibition area will be further expanded.
Looking back to the former two sessions of CIIE, RDPAC member companies have shown lots of global new drugs and new technologies, including innovative drugs “firstly released in China” and “even the world” in relation to tumor, rare diseases, diabetes and other therapeutic fields. Therefore, RDPAC member companies attending the 3rd CIIE have attracted lots of attentions. One key work of RDPAC has always been speeding up the introduction of innovative drugs, and meeting clinical demands of Chinese patients. In the past two years, RDPAC members introduced a total of over 100 innovative drugs to Chinese market, accounting for 80% of all innovative drugs listed in Chinese market during the same period. Owing to the constant improvement made in our drug review and approval efficiency, business environment, etc., partial new drugs have been simultaneously listed in China and overseas countries since 2019, but before 2015, the listing time in China was often 5-7 years later than that in European and American countries. In addition, according to one study report of RDPAC, among the daily average new drugs approved by European and American countries from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2019, 50% new drugs failed to enter China, and 71% of these new drugs can meet the urgent clinical demands in China. Furthermore, this report can also further indicate another major factor that should be considered by transnational pharmaceutical enterprises in the introduction of innovative drugs, i.e., the system of intellectual property rights protection, including the protection of test data.
“We are looking forward to the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd CIIE!” Ms. Kang Wei, Managing Director of RDPAC expressed, “RDPAC and its member companies have been engaged in introducing innovative drugs to China, to help improve people’s health level, and promote Healthy China 2030 Strategies. Besides, we also want to further demonstrate the firm belief held by transnational pharmaceutical enterprises in the resilience of Chinese economy based on the CIIE, and promote more innovative cooperation projects to settle in China, and make Chinese patients enjoy global pharmaceutical innovative achievements as soon as possible. Meanwhile, we also desire to continue the spirits of the CIIE, cooperate with the pharmaceutical industry, to create a win-win, shared and co-built ecosystem of pharmaceutical innovation.”
