Pharmaceutical companies form alliance to build cGMP Biopharmaceutical facility in China
Boehringer Ingelheim enters strategic alliance with aim to raise cGMP standards for CROs.
Global pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany) has recently announced its partnership with Zhangjiang Biotech & Pharmaceutical Base Development Company (Pundong, Shanghai), with aims to build a cGMP biopharmaceutical facility.
Christian Boehringer, Chairman of the Shareholders Committee at Boehringer Ingelheim, commented on the alliance, “Our partnership with Zhangjiang Base Company is an important step in our global China strategy as it opens a further opportunity for Boehringer Ingelheim to participate in the growing demand for high-quality biopharmaceuticals in China.” He continued, “Shanghai is our ideal partner with its advantages in investment environment, service system and talent resources.”
The facility will be the first set up by an international company to utilize mammalian cell-culture technology in China, providing a range of development and clinical services to customers both Chinese and multi-national. Boehringer Ingelheim will reportedly invest more than €35 million in the facility.
Zhangjiang Base Company aims to initiate the contract manufacturing organization framework at the plant. According to Lanzhong Wang, General Manager of Zhangjiang Base Company, “We are very pleased to start the partnership with a leading biopharmaceuticals company such as Boehringer Ingelheim. Through the cooperation, we hope to bring the know-how, technology and experience all up to international standards. With a number of innovative medicines being developed by a cluster of middle to small-sized innovative companies in Zhangjiang, plus the government support, we plan to initiate the CMO manufacturing framework at this plant on a trial basis. This will provide an effective platform for middle and small-sized companies to industrialize their innovations. Thus, it will greatly prompt the development of China’s biopharmaceuticals manufacturing industry.” The facility is due to be completed for operations in early 2016.
Source: Boehringer Ingelheim pioneers biopharmaceuticals move to China.
