Facility’s right medicine for startups

Source: Xinhua | 2017-05-17

GERMANY’S Boehringer Ingelheim yesterday launched the first phase of its 70-million-euro (US$77 million) biopharma manufacturing site in Zhangjiang High-Tech Park in Shanghai, the first of its kind set up by a multinational pharma company in China.

The facility aims to bolster the manufacturing capability and serve innovative drug startups or companies that are not capable of setting up their own manufacturing plants.

The joint venture with Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotech and Pharmaceutical Base Development Co is also expected to enhance the competitiveness of China’s biopharma industry.

Boehringer Ingelheim has been selected as one of the first companies to be included in China’s biopharma contract manufacturing organization pilot project that allows domestic and overseas drug companies to outsource their manufacturing and early-phase R&D work to eligible third parties.

The new facility in Shanghai, the company’s fourth after those in Germany, Austria and the United States, is key to improving its global manufacturing network.