From November 2 to 4, the grand event in biology community — the First China Biotech Innovation Conference (hereinafter referred to as the “Conference”) was held in CDHT. More than 10 academicians, more than 200 heavyweight experts, more than 2,000 expert scholars, over 10 Fortune Global 500 multinational pharmaceutical companies in the world and over 100 domestic and overseas famous pharmaceutical companies gathered in Chengdu to discuss China’s development in biotechnology innovation.

With the theme of “Drawing Blueprints, Creating a Bright Future”, the Conference was co-guided by China National Center for Biotechnology Development and the Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province, organized by Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and jointly undertaken by Chengdu High-tech Zone Management Committee and Chengdu Hi-tech Zone Bioindustry Expert Federation.

No matter for the biological industry or Chengdu, this conference marks a “milestone”. In the 3-day agenda, 23 parallel sessions and 4 private sessions have been held to present the onslaught of highlights. In addition to sharing and discussing the latest development trend in the field of biotechnology, the conference has released and demonstrated blockbuster scientific research achievements. All while comprehensively showcasing the stupendous accomplishment of China’s biotechnological progress since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the conference has still offered new idea for exploring the “Mode of Chengdu” in the innovative development of biomedicine.

More than 10 academicians, over 200 prestigious pundits and more than 2,000 experts and scholars gathered in CDHT to interpret the latest trend of biotechnology. Moreover, over 10 Fortune Global 500 multinational pharmaceutical companies and more than 100 well-known pharmaceutical enterprises at home and abroad including Novartis, AstraZeneca, CNBG and United Imaging were attracted to the conference in Chengdu for the innovative development of China’s biotechnology.

 

The Academic Advisory Committee and Academic Board, which consist of 21 academicians and 45 top experts, have further proved it is a professional conference. The Academic Advisory Committee is chaired by Cao Xuetao, Academician of CAE, while the Academic Board is co-chaired by Zhan Qimin, Academician of CAE and Wei Yuquan, Academician of CAS, who are all specially invited.

 

A number of frontier topics have been spotlighted on the conference, such as “how to sustain the improvement of biological innovation environment”, “what is the trend of new drug R&D” and “how to upgrade the industrial development”.

 

At the Opening Ceremony, a principal of China National Center for Biotechnology Development indicated that in a bid to seize the strategic opportunity of revolutionary significance of biotechnology to occupy the highland in the new round of technological revolution, China has augmented the investment into biotechnological innovation through major special technological projects, key R&D programs, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and other channels. Over the past 5 years, a total of approximately RMB 60 billion has been invested into the life science field by national major technological projects. Groundbreaking results have been seen in fields like the stem cell, synthetic biology, neurobiology, nano-biology and imaging technology with the rapid development of China’s biotechnology. “2019 marks a crucial year where we continue to explore and strive at the new historical starting point.”

 

Furthermore, numerous big names in the biology sphere appeared in CDHT. At the Opening Ceremony, Zhang Xuemin and Zhou Qi, Academicians of CAS, and Li Song, Academician of CAE as special guests have made their keynote speeches to discuss with attendees the latest news about biotechnology, and prognosticate the future development trend.

While delivering the keynote speech titled Innovation Drives the New Drug R&D and Industrial Development, Li Song pointed out that the core defects of current technologies shall be the prime breakthrough points for new drug R&D. As he summed up, the present new drug R&D in China still center on ME-TOO and ME-BETTER, adding that diversified factors are constraining new drugs from going global and the core defect in drug research is the unstable LINKER, which mainly causes the toxic off-target effect. In this sense, innovative LINKER in stable structure of new ME-ONLY shall be developed to reduce the off-target effect of toxin.

Academicians also shared the latest research findings.

Wei Yuquan introduced a new book named 2019 Report on the Research and Development of Clinical Medicine of China, which systematically reflects the general development situation and main achievements of China’s clinical medicine research in 2019, summarizes the experience in advancing China’s clinical medicine technologies, and studies and predicts the future development trend in this realm.

 

As a member of the Editorial Board, Zhang Xu, Academician of CAS publicized a new book titled 2019 Report on the Development of Life Science and Biotechnology in China at the Opening Ceremony, and demonstrated the basic and comprehensive conditions of China’s life science, biotechnology and bio-industry in 2018 to practitioners in the circle of life science and biotechnology.

 

Apart from the Opening Ceremony, the conference has arranged 23 parallel sessions and 4 private sessions, which were quite wonderful.

 

Of the 23 parallel sessions, 16 sub-forums have covered the latest information and future trend of biotechnology, including such main fields as the overlapping fusion between biotechnology and IT, brain science and brain-inspired intelligence research, innovative drug R&D, IVD, stem cell and transformation & research, national clinical medicine research and bio-bank.

 

With regard to the agenda, the conference has specially arranged the most cutting-edge academic exchanges on bioscience progress in heated brain science, BTIT and bio-manufacturing, as well as placing great emphasis on interdisciplinary issues like biological information big data, bio-bank and bio-safety management that combine scientific nature and strategic risk. In the meantime, for the front-line departments with industry, university and research engaged including new drug R&D, advanced treatment technology & equipment, IVD, biomedical materials and tissue & organ repair, this is an opportunity of full demonstration.

 

Numerous academicians, experts and enterprises have gathered in Chengdu to talk freely the future trend.

 

Zhang Xu expounded on the study into disciplinary crossing and integration, and the analysis & expectation of international situation. From his perspective, the interconnection, overlapping fusion and mutual inspiration between brain science and AI, the crossing and fusion of disciplines maybe indicate the mainstream trend of future science and industrial development. The artificial brain-inspired intelligence and its application that absorb the quintessence of brain science study are expected to trigger the momentous groundbreaking revolution across the world, and especially is of great importance for education and corresponding research. “We reckon that brain-inspired intelligence means the AI research into neurosciences or inspired by the brain rationales.”

 

In addition to various professional sub-forums, the conference has particularly convened the Biotechnology Forum for Young Talent and Biotechnological Development Seminar for Female Scientists to encourage scientific personnel to conduct internal exchanges, demonstration and discussion on individual experience, and spur them to strive for the environment that better fires own scientific prowess and leads to a beautiful life.

No matter for the biological industry or Chengdu, this conference marks a “milestone”.

Seeing from the biomedical industrial development trend worldwide, it is the initial stage of large-scale industrialization of biomedical technology. The industry is estimated to witness the rapid development in 2020, and gradually show its predominance in the world economy. A specialized and earth-shaking conference is conducive to building the industrial platform, integrating resources and giving full play to the “leverage” strength.

For Chengdu and CDHT, this conference announces that Chengdu takes an important seat in the industry of China’s biotechnology to participate in the establishment of global industrial chain.

The reporter noticed that among the attendees, there were many leading enterprises of biomedicine in Chengdu, such as HitGen Inc. from CDHT.

As one of the early signers who took the lead in officially settling in Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town, HitGen Inc. has made striking headway in recent years, becoming the leader in the micromolecule field of DNA coded compound library. As Li Jin, President and CEO of HitGen Inc. considered, the biomedical industry in CDHT has realized rapid development over the years, registering an extremely high industrial agglomeration efficiency, which has provided sufficient support for enterprises to advance.

Li Jin also mentioned the cultivation of industrial functional zones in Chengdu. “The new drug R&D should never count only on one or two enterprises. The environment for innovation and multiple disciplines and teams will generate the technological collision that catalyzes emerging technologies here; and the sound environment will also build regional brands to attract talent and capital to throng into. Furthermore, on the complete biomedical industrial chain of CDHT, there are enterprises capable of drug R&D and manufacturing, and a plentitude of downstream application scenarios, which have formed the intact chain and ecology.”

Since Chengdu values the development of biomedical industry greatly, it has been the National Industrial Base of Biomedicine R&D and Innovation, among the first batch of national pharmaceutical export bases, National Hi-tech Industrial Base of Biomedical Materials and Medical Equipment, National (Chengdu) Biomedical Industry Innovation Incubation Base, and the pilot demonstration base for the achievements transfer & transformation of national key and new medicines development and major technological projects. The ideal ecological environment for the development of the biomedical industry is available here.

At present, CDHT, the battle position of Chengdu’s biomedical sector has introduced a batch of major industrial projects to settle in, including the first Western China Investment Project Operation Center in Central-Western China funded by Gilead, a Fortune Global 500 enterprise; 3 high level top 500 projects of Allergan Pharmaceutical Trade China Headquarters, Boston Scientific the 2^nd Headquarters & Innovation Center and IQVIA Western China Operation Headquarters; the Xuezhikang Capsule R&D and Manufacturing Base Project with a total investment of RMB 1.235 billion by Luye Pharma Group and AstraZeneca; the Innovative Drug R&D Headquarters & Industrial Base of Huiyu Pharmaceutical, the first Chinese anti-cancer injection enterprise that passed the British GMP certification; the Innovative Biomedicine R&D, Manufacturing and CDMO Project of Kindos Pharma, the first Chinese sterile injection that passed the FDA approval for the entire system.

For many participating guests, this also directs the biomedical industrial development in a city and a region.

Academician Wei Yuquan expressed that the biomedical industry in CDHT has been a leader among domestic peers who is maintaining a sound momentum of growth. All while issuing a series of policies to support the development of biomedical industry, CDHT is accelerating the construction of the sole pilot demonstration base for the achievements transfer & transformation of national key and new medicines development and major technological projects nationwide. A group of top talent and innovation enterprises, as well as worldwide influential enterprises of biomedicine and medical equipment like Sanofi and Medtronic have been attracted to settle in CDHT.

He suggested CDHT should continue to develop the biomedical industry with innovation and supply side reform as the principal lines, seize tight the opportunities of the pilot demonstration base for the achievements transfer & transformation of national key and new medicines development and major technological projects, bring the policy

superiorities of governments at all levels into full play, and establish the complete industrial ecosphere and innovation eco-chain, so as to strive to become the biomedicine innovation & development center and the preferable choice of medical health service competitive in the international community.