AstraZeneca announces $100 Million investment to battle cancer in China

Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 26 May 2006 14:00

Anglo-Swiss pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said today it planned to invest $100 million (£54m) in China over the next three years.

The prime focus of the research and development programme, which AstraZeneca said would focus on the benefit and value of innovative medicines for Chinese patients, will be the establishment of an innovation centre China. Initially, it will concentrate on oncology research.

The company is currently searching for an appropriate location for the centre, which will be operational by the end of 2009. It will focus on translational science by developing knowledge about Chinese patients, biomarkers and genetics. The initial therapeutic area for the innovation dcentre will be cancer, which is a major cause of death in China.

In addition, AstraZeneca said it would expand its clinical research capabilities and is looking this year to increase the number of scientific collaborations with local Chinese organisations. It has recently signed a deal worth $14 million with Wuxi Pharmatech for compound collection synthesis and has an existing collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University on the genetics of schizophrenia.

“With China’s rapid economic growth and increasing demand for better healthcare, China has become one of the most important emerging markets for AstraZeneca and will be important to our future success,” said CEO David Brennan. “We fully support China’s national focus on innovation by substantially increasing our R&D investment, both in financial terms and in terms of scientific collaboration.”

He said he supported the Chinese government’s policy to strengthen IP protection - the lack of which has historically inhibited British manufacturers committing other than low tech manufacturing activities to China.

AstraZeneca China has its headquarters in Shanghai, with branch offices in more than 20 cities across mainland China. The manufacturing plant located in Wuxi, Jiangsu province was inaugurated in 2001.

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