On November 17, on the occasion of the Grand Health Forum of the World Young Scientists Summit, scientists, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from the national grand health sector gathered in Ouhai, Wenzhou, to jointly witness the inauguration of the National Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Drug Development and Manufacturing and the official commissioning of Chuangrui Bio, the CDMO industrial platform of China Gene Medicine Valley. This marks that Wenzhou has reached new heights in pharmaceutical research and innovation, achievement translation and manufacturing capacity.

Zhang Honggang, Director of the High Technology Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Jiang Zhengui, Deputy Secretary-General of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government; Wang Zhenyong, Vice Mayor of Wenzhou City; Bian Zhenjia, President of China Nutrition and Health Food Association; Sun Xianze, Chairman of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association; Chen Shifei, Chairman of the National Steering Committee for Professional Postgraduate Education in Pharmacy; Academician Deng Zixin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Academicians Yang Baofeng, Fu Xiaobing, Jia Weiping, Jiang Jianxin and Li Xiaokun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Lü Yijun, Party Secretary of Wenzhou Medical University; Yao Wenbing, Chairman of the National Teaching Steering Committee for Pharmacy Programs of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education; Guan Yanping, Party Secretary of Liaocheng University; Yan Jinding, Director of the National Key Laboratory Management Division, High Technology Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Guo Yajun, Deputy Director of the National Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Drug Development and Manufacturing; Zeng Ruihua, Liu Yunfeng, Jiang Diqing, Jin Yanguang and other leading officials of Ouhai District attended the ceremony.

Macromolecular drugs refer to recombinant protein drugs such as cell growth factors, antibody drugs and cell therapies obtained through biotechnologies including genetic engineering and cell engineering for the prevention and treatment of human diseases. Based on the State Key Laboratory of Antibody Drugs and Targeted Therapy, the National Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Drug Development and Manufacturing is jointly led by Wenzhou Medical University and Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. It brings together leading domestic enterprises, high-level regional universities with distinctive strengths and clinical bases such as Liaocheng University, Tofflon Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai Henlius Biotech, and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University.

After its inauguration, the laboratory will focus on macromolecular drugs including cell growth factors, antibodies and cell therapies. It aims to establish innovative drug discovery pathways that take disease-responsive endogenous regulatory factors as drug molecules or targets, as well as a chained innovation system covering “original innovation – targeted delivery – clinical translation – large-scale manufacturing”. It will pool resources to accelerate breakthroughs in bottleneck technologies restricting the R&D of macromolecular drugs, and develop therapeutic agents for major diseases such as cutaneous trauma and nerve injury, metabolic disorders and their complications, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and malignant tumors. It strives to realize the shift from follow-on biosimilars to original innovation, from domestic approval to international recognition, and fulfill the strategic goal of evolving from compliance with Western standards to formulating internationally accepted Chinese standards.

As the Director of the Laboratory, Academician Li Xiaokun, President of Wenzhou Medical University and Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that the laboratory will carry out more original and breakthrough research with a targeted focus to address core bottleneck technologies in this field in China. It will fully leverage existing platforms to foster more outstanding scientific researchers specializing in macromolecular drugs within pharmacy disciplines. Relying on the development of this platform, it will boost regional development and economic transformation of Wenzhou, facilitating the city’s transformation from a commercial hub into a hub for scientific and technological innovation, talent gathering and big health industry.

On the day of the commissioning ceremony, Chuangrui Bio signed strategic cooperation agreements with multiple partners including Shanghai United Cell Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and Yaogu (Wenzhou) Technology Development Co., Ltd. The company has secured a production order worth over 300 million RMB from Shanghai United Cell Biotechnology, and built up a pipeline comprising multiple industrialization projects translated from research outcomes of Wenzhou Medical University and innovative biopharmaceutical projects invested and introduced by China Gene Medicine Valley.

In the afternoon of the same day, all staff of Chuangrui Bio warmly received delegations from many enterprises. This visit and exchange built a high-quality communication bridge for all parties and deepened mutual understanding. The participants held in-depth discussions on key cooperation areas, shared demands and development visions, laying a solid foundation for further collaboration and shared growth.