AbbVie opens a new chapter in China after a decade of robust growth

AbbVie plans to introduce over 30 new innovative drugs or indications into China by 2030, and foster the high-quality development of the country's healthcare industry through open and diverse collaboration, Lily Dong, Vice President and General Manager of AbbVie China, said in an interview.

Dong unveiled this ambitious vision during the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), marking AbbVie's third participation in the event. At its booth, AbbVie is presenting cutting-edge innovation and diverse collaboration that aim to have a long-lasting impact to improve people's lives.

In the realm of healthcare innovation, AbbVie showcased a versatile array of pioneering products across five key focuses of areas, including immunology, oncology, eye care, neuroscience, and aesthetics.

Furthermore, AbbVie is spearheading a healthcare innovation ecosystem that engages the government, pharma, researchers and industry associations to discover innovative medicines and solutions that address complex health issues and deliver on the commitment to patient centricity.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of AbbVie and AbbVie China, and during the past decade, the company has made tremendous progress in business growth and engagement with local communities in China. The number of staff at AbbVie China has grown from 400 to over 2,200, a testament to its long-term commitment and strong confidence in this world's second-largest healthcare market, according to Dong.

"Through our participation in the CIIE, we've benefitted from China's further opening-up, gained valuable business opportunities in its dynamic healthcare market, and swiftly had our products approved and added into the reimbursement drug list," said Dong.

"After a remarkable decade, we're entering a new chapter as we will not only accelerate global product introductions into China but also forge a wide range of innovative partnerships in China to empower local healthcare industry and contribute to Healthy China 2030 Initiative," she added.

AbbVie has been capitalizing on the CIIE to deepen its presence in China, quickening the pace for Chinese patients to access its innovative drugs. At this year's event, the company will once again present its innovative JAK inhibitor Rinvoq and pioneering hematological cancer drug Venclexta, both of which received accelerated approval thanks to their debut in the previous CIIE.

Benefiting from the spillover effect of CIIE, these two drugs will demonstrate the potential to treat more conditions of diseases, with the hope of getting approval on related indications in China soon.

Moreover, Ozurdex, a treatment of retinal diseases, will be on display at the CIIE, while Skyrizi, a standout product in immunology, and Epkinly, a hematological tumor solution, will make their "China debut" at the event.

Dong emphasized that China's ongoing healthcare reform and the expedited new drug approval have benefited AbbVie, with Rinvoq as a particular example, which has been approved for seven indications within only 20 months after its launch in China.

She expected that the pace of new drug launch in China will continue to gain momentum supported by AbbVie's ongoing or planned involvement in over 70 clinical research programs in the country. AbbVie currently has a substantial research and development team comprising 200 dedicated professionals based in China.

"China is now actively involved in 85 percent of our global multi-center phase III clinical trials, and this underscores our pivotal role in global R&D strategy," said Dong. "We expect more of our products will be launched simultaneously in China and global markets."

In addition to strengthening its internal research efforts, AbbVie has proactively intensified its collaboration with external stakeholders. The annual AbbVie China Partnering Day has been held for three consecutive years, serving as a platform to convene government representatives, biopharma partners and industry associations. This forum aims to explore various avenues of collaboration, covering academic advancements, R&D and commercialization.

"As we continue to bring first-in-class and best-in-class innovative drugs to China, we also prioritize efforts to foster mutually beneficial external partnerships in China. We aspire to uncover opportunities that will enable Chinese-developed medications and solutions to have a positive global impact, ultimately benefiting patients worldwide," Dong said.