On November 6th, the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) booth of the 6th China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as "CIIE") was officially unveiled. As a leading global biopharmaceutical company, GSK Enoch has made another appointment with Jinbo.
At this Expo, GSK comprehensively demonstrated its important progress and innovative R&D strength in four core treatment fields of infectious diseases, immune/respiratory diseases, tumors and HIV. At the same time, GSK is also working with external stakeholders during the CIIE to discuss the "community" plan for health and explore the best practices to bring transformative health impact to Chinese patients and the general public.
Qi Xin, Vice President of GSK and General Manager of China, stated that China is one of GSK's most important strategic markets globally. In recent years, GSK has continued to increase its investment in China. In 2022, the new headquarters office of GSK China will be put into use in the front beach of Shanghai; GlaxoSmithKline Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. has been approved by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce to qualify as a "regional headquarters for multinational corporations". Since then, GSK has formed a joint force with the two major functional centers in Pudong - GSK China R&D Center and National Commercial Operations Center, comprehensively improving the level of GSK China headquarters.
On the product side, in recent years, GSK has accelerated the introduction of innovation in multiple key areas, and has launched nearly 20 innovative vaccines and drugs in China, including multiple breakthrough therapeutic heavyweight products, and continuously expanding new indications. Qi Xin introduced that GSK is currently actively exploring new cooperation models in medical pilot zones such as Boao Lecheng in Hainan, Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, and Tianjin Airport Free Trade Zone, and continues to accelerate the entry of more innovative achievements into China. It is expected that over 5 new products or indications will be launched by GSK China in the next three years.
It is reported that at this CIIE, GSK will bring multiple innovative products in the four core areas of treatment. In the field of HIV, the first complete HIV-1 long-term injection treatment plan, the combination therapy of Katiravir injection and Lipivirin injection, which has just been approved in China, will welcome its first exhibition in China. This is also the first long-term HIV injection treatment plan in China, which can replace daily oral medication and achieve monthly or bimonthly administration, greatly improving patient compliance and convenience. At the same time, it is expected that China's first long-term HIV pre exposure prophylactic drug will also make its debut at the CIIE booth in the future.
In the field of vaccines, the world's first recombinant herpes zoster vaccine, Xin'an Lishi, which has won the "Galen Award" three times, will continue to appear at the expo. Different from previous years, the latest research data of Xin'an Lishi this year shows that it has 100% protective effect on adults aged 50 and above in Chinese Mainland, which further proves that it can provide efficient protection. In addition, in terms of HPV vaccine, in April this year, GSK's two dose vaccination program for girls aged 9-14 was fully implemented in China, becoming the first imported HPV vaccine to be approved for this vaccination program. Two dose vaccination can greatly improve vaccination convenience and coverage.
In the respiratory field, biological agents are the key direction of GSK, and the world's first targeted human anti interleukin-5 (IL-5) monoclonal antibody biological agent approved for the treatment of adult eosinophilic granulomatous vasculitis (EGPA) has been included in the medical insurance catalog; In March of this year, Xinkelai has submitted an application for registration of indications for severe eosinophilic asthma, and is expected to be approved in China in the coming months.
In the field of immunity, GSK will continue to showcase the world's first biological agent, Beiliteng, which covers the indications for systemic lupus erythematosus and adult lupus nephritis in adults and children at this CIIE. Beiliteng has been recommended as a new standard for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis by the 2023 international authoritative guidelines KDIGO and EULAR.
Behind GSK's unique "three carriage" strategy in innovative research and development, which has been continuously bringing heavyweight innovative products to the CIIE for many years. According to Ji Naxin, Vice President of GSK and head of clinical research and development in China, the so-called "three carriages" of GSK research and development refer to science, technology, and talent respectively.
In terms of science, GSK focuses on developing innovative products with the potential of being the first in class and the best in class in the field of treatment; In terms of technology, we fully utilize the latest technologies such as virtual digital technology and biostatistics to minimize the number of subjects, provide the most favorable research results, and achieve an innovative product from research and development to clinical application at the fastest speed, thereby benefiting patients and the general public.
In addition, GSK also attaches great importance to the localization of international talents and the internationalization of local talents. On the one hand, we will introduce the advanced advantages of international talents in international management concepts and technologies to China, and on the other hand, we will fully leverage the understanding and practical experience of local talents in the Chinese market and operations. Fully integrate the two to help GSK quickly improve its local research and management capabilities.
Ji Naxin also stated that on the basis of this "three carriages", GSK also focuses on genomics technology in innovative research and development strategies, in order to better understand the factors leading to disease occurrence and form more effective disease prevention and control ideas. At the same time, based on clinical immunity, the treatment goal for patients has been elevated from "improvement" to "cure", striving to achieve "treating both symptoms and root causes". Even for diseases that cannot achieve permanent cure, they can at least achieve long-term relief, thereby achieving a positive impact on the health system of individuals, society, and the country.
Specifically, in China, according to the introduction from China News, GSK's research and development center located in Shanghai was GSK's first research and development center to be established outside of Europe and America. GSK also cooperated with Tsinghua University to establish the "Beijing Institute of Public Health on Infectious Diseases", focusing on research and drug development in the field of infectious diseases.
In fact, local cooperation has always been an important strategy of GSK in China. For example, on tuberculosis, one of the key problems to be solved in "Healthy China 2030", GSK has used its advantages of both products for tuberculosis treatment and vaccines under research to apply the strategy of "integrating medicine and prevention" to tuberculosis prevention. At the same time, we are actively exploring the research and development model of Chinese product pipelines, which includes both bringing in global innovation and helping local Chinese enterprises' go global '.
In October of this year, GSK and Zhifei Biotechnology reached an exclusive vaccine strategic cooperation to jointly promote GSK's recombinant herpes zoster vaccine Xin'an Lishi in China in the future. By combining the scale and professional advantages of the two companies, this strategic partnership will significantly enhance the accessibility of Xin'an Lishi in China, supporting the rapidly growing population with a demand for vaccines and future new indications. The strategic cooperation also includes matters regarding the potential joint development and commercialization of GSK vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the elderly aged 60 and above in China. In addition, GSK has recently reached a partnership with Hansen Pharmaceuticals to help its innovative products "go global".
In addition to product cooperation with local enterprises, GSK has also reached a series of cooperation projects with many institutions and organizations, such as the China Medical and Health Development Foundation, the China Elderly Health Care Association, the Jiangsu Preventive Medicine Association/Jiangsu Maternal and Child Health Research Association, and the China Association for the Prevention and Control of STD AIDS, to continue to help healthy aging, promote high-quality development of the health industry, and jointly build a community of human health.
At this year's CIIE, GSK will also sign a memorandum of cooperation with the China Association for the Promotion of Health and Education to jointly enhance women's awareness of cervical cancer prevention and control, explore a collaborative model for primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention in urban communities, and create innovative cooperation models and demonstrations for medical and preventive integration.