(BEIJING, 10 September 2018) Today, the R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC) announced that the 2019 International Pharmaceutical Innovation Forum (IPIF19) will take place on 26 March 2019 in Beijing, connecting global thought leaders, policy makers, scientists, industry leaders, think tanks for a one-day top content event. The forum is privileged to have some of the most authoritative and influential speakers, some of whom are global transformers.
Building off the success of the first IPIF in 2017, which saw the launch of the Coalition for Pharmaceutical Innovation, a strategic platform to maintain regular communications with government and industry stakeholders, the 2019 agenda is unprecedented, offering participants a packed program of diverse topics to discuss the most exciting developments and most pressing topics related to patient centric health, followed by an award ceremony for the first-ever Prix Galien China recipients.
Today’s announcement took place at the 2018 Nobel Laureate Summit in Chengdu, which for five years has acted as a gathering place for top health care and technology talent to meet and promote collaboration across industries and sectors. IPIF19, like the Nobel Laureate Summit, will serve as a platform of common dialogue among the various stakeholders in health care, for whom collaboration will play an increasingly-important role in benefitting patients. Topics discussed at IPIF19 will include using pharmaceutical innovation as a vehicle to advance economic development and broad social progress within China; examining opportunities for collaboration both within the health care sector and across other sectors, such as technology; policy and regulatory priorities for the coming years; and methods for ensuring all efforts achieve the end goal of improving patient well-being. Additionally, as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for pharmaceutical innovation, Prix Galien China will help to showcase China’s growing role as an established global player in health care innovation.
“Today’s pharmaceutical innovation landscape is moving quickly, providing advances in treatment previously thought impossible,” said Rogier Janssens, executive member of RDPAC. “As China works to grow its global brand as a hub for scientific advancement, as well as reap the economic and social benefits of a dynamic innovation ecosystem, IPIF19 will provide an inclusive platform for high-level dialogue about where we are headed next.”
RDPAC, which represents 40 member companies in China that together invest approximately RMB 8 billion annually into pharmaceutical R&D, is committed to building a healthy China through innovation, according to Kang Wei, the organization’s managing director. In the 20 years since RDPAC was founded, the organization has helped contribute to the development of China’s pharmaceutical industry through continued investment that has helped bring roughly 80 percent of the innovative drugs in China to the market.
“At our research and development centers throughout China, thousands of researchers are working every day to find the next wave of breakthrough treatments that will improve patient outcomes both in China and around the world,” said Wei. “It is our honor to illuminate this stellar work by hosting the first Prix Galien China, and we will take this opportunity as our serious responsibility to showcase this country’s dynamic innovation ecosystem.”
The Prix Galien China – which for the first time in the 48-year history of the Prix Galien Foundation has included China as one of the now-14 countries recognized in the pursuit of novel medicines and treatments – will demonstrate China’s growing role as an established player in health care innovation. Judged by a committee of internationally-recognized scientists from industry, academia, and development organizations in Europe, America, and China, the awards will recognize outstanding contributions in three categories: digital innovation, innovative products, and research. Among the judges will be Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Committee Chair of the Prix Galien USA and CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which this year will act as the philanthropic partner for IPIF19, recognizing China’s vital role in the organization’s mission to further global public health.
“I’m excited by this landmark partnership. I love visiting China and every time I do, I’m amazed by the ever-growing capacity for innovation, and ever-deepening pool of talented scientists and technicians. We have big ambitions in global health and we need more discoveries to further improve the human condition. IPIF19 will showcase China’s potential in the field and encourage vital new medical breakthroughs.,” said Desmond-Hellmann.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is a supporting partner for IPIF19 and shares the goal of connecting Chinese and international stakeholders from across health care and other sectors. “China is growing to become a global hub for biopharmaceutical research and development, aided by important policy reforms underway,” said PhRMA president and CEO Stephen J. Ubl. “In today’s new era of medicine, international cooperation and harmonization will continue to be foundational to success in delivering life-saving treatments and cures to patients.”
More details about 2019 IPIF and Prix Galien China please visit: ipif.rdpac.org
About RDPAC
Under the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (CAEFI), the R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC) is a non-profit organization made up of 38 member companies with pharmaceutical R&D capability that together invest an annual total of RMB9 billion into pharmaceutical innovation. Seventy percent of RDPAC members have established manufacturing facilities in China summing up to 49 in total so far, and 31 R&D centers were established by 17 companies. Holding the idea of “Healthier China through Innovation”, RDPAC committed to be a valued partner in delivering the “Healthy China 2030” goal to improve the health and quality of life of people in China. RDPAC is member of International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA). Learn more at http://www.rdpac.org/.
About the Prix Galien Awards
Created in France in 1970, the Prix Galien Awards are the pharmaceutical industry’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, rewarding achievements in the development of novel medicines and medical devices. As China has established itself as a critical player in pharmaceutical innovation, the Galien Foundation has entrusted RDPAC to launch the Prix Galien China for the first time in its history, as part of IPIF19.