Tech sector taps bioproduction to spur development

In a workshop in Chengdu, Sichuan province, rows of fermentation tanks are filled with genetically modified microorganisms that are producing a new generation of chemotherapy drugs.

Since its inception in 2002, Biostar Pharma, a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical firm, has expanded into a company with a 10,000-square-meter automated workshop. It has developed the world's first oral microtubule inhibitor in solid oral dosage form, a novel chemotherapy drug for cancer treatment.

With bio-manufacturing recognized as a key future industry in China's Government Work Report this year, a growing number of startups are poised to tap into new opportunities in this rapidly emerging sector.

Biostar Pharma's team successfully engineered microbial genes, identified a high-potential drug-producing strain, and now leveraged this breakthrough to manufacture cancer therapeutics called "utidelone" at commercial scale via fermentation.

Bio-manufacturing is a cutting-edge process that harnesses living cells, tissues or microorganisms to synthesize diverse products, from life-saving pharmaceuticals and sustainable biofuels to specialty chemicals and innovative materials.

According to CEC Capital Group's projections, China's bio-manufacturing market is expected to reach 2 trillion yuan ($279 billion) by 2033, with a robust 16.6 percent compound annual growth rate, marking the sector's entry into a golden era of growth.

This surge is underpinned by a confluence of groundbreaking innovations and a clear national strategic vision to harness biotechnology for sustained economic growth in the years to come.

In March, a pioneering Chinese biotech firm achieved a clinical breakthrough in the production of lab-grown platelets, potentially revolutionizing global blood supply systems.

The Shanghai-based biotech Renerval Therapeutics successfully completed the first clinical transfusion of platelets derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. The achievement has established the world-first functional "smart" system for industrial-scale platelet bio-manufacturing.

The advancement delivers a therapeutic strategy to resolve the persistent global challenge of platelet supply shortages in transfusion medicine.

Changing Bio, also a Shanghai-based biotech firm, announced that two types of its synthetic microbial protein have become China's first FDA-approved synthetic food proteins, clearing a critical pathway for US market entry. Proteins can offer sustainable alternatives for the dairy and alt-meat sectors.

While cattle require two years to produce milk, Changing Bio's platform yields protein within 24 hours, without the land, water or climate constraints of traditional agriculture.

A 2024 United Nations forecast projects the world's population will grow by 2 billion people by the mid-2080s, creating more strain on global food production systems. The market for alt-meat, eggs, dairy and seafood products is set to reach at least $290 billion by 2035, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group.

Xinhua - China Daily