Biomedical becomes multibillion industry in Hebei's Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei province in North China, has been promoting innovation in pharmaceutical research and development to establish a robust biomedical industry.

The biomedical sector in Shijiazhuang has emerged as a new driver of economic growth, with a total revenue of 85.5 billion yuan ($11.91 billion) in 2022.

The establishment of the Shijiazhuang International Biomedical Park is a milestone in the city's pursuit of the industry's development.

The park showcases various innovative medicines developed by domestic drug manufacturers, targeting cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infectious diseases, depression and more.

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, a Shijiazhuang-based drug maker, developed messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines named SYS6006.

These vaccines specifically target the BA.5 variant of Omicron and represent the first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine based on mRNA technology.

The group has made substantial investments in research and development, with around 4 billion yuan invested in 2022, maintaining double-digit growth and ranking among the top domestic pharmaceutical companies.

The drug maker has a global research team of over 2,000 scientists and 110 ongoing innovative drug projects, covering large molecules, small molecules, and new formulations, said Wang Zhenguo, executive director of the group.

In terms of research and development for new drugs, he said, the company is expected to have more than 40 innovative drugs approved over the next five years.

At the exhibition hall, North China Pharmaceutical Group displayed Ormutivimab Injection, the first domestically produced rabies monoclonal antibody in China.

This medication provides an effective treatment for adults exposed to the rabies virus, filling a gap in the market for anti-rabies virus drugs.

The biopharmaceutical park has attracted 243 companies operating in various fields, including biological medicine, chemical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and medical equipment.

It has established a comprehensive industrial chain that includes research and development, business incubation, industrialization, sales, and after-sales services.

Moreover, the park has collaborated with Beijing and Tianjin on 65 projects related to research, development and the transformation of biomedical products.

Located in the southern part of the Shijiazhuang High-tech Industrial Development Zone, the park covers an area of over 1,800 hectares.