Global pharmaceutical company GSK has entered a string of partnerships with Chinese medical institutions, non-profit organizations and internet healthcare enterprises at the third China International Import Expo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China will play a key role in accelerating and upgrading the integration of the global industrial chain for drug development as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve in many parts of the country, according to a white paper published by the special committee of public health and epidemic prevention, part of the enterprise alliance at the third China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Joint efforts by worldwide scientists to uncover the pathogenic mechanism of a disease and discover appropriate molecules for drug development have become irreversible trends in today's world with a shared future, the white paper stated.

Meanwhile, China's performance in new drug research and development in recent years has been eye-catching, the paper added.

"Revealed by the world map of pharmaceutical R&D institutions in 2017, we could see that they have moved eastward and China has become the largest new drug R&D base in Asia," the white paper stated.

In terms of innovation, China has quickly risen in the global ranks to close the gap with Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany, with its contribution rising to between 4 and 8 percent of the world's total, according to the report.

"An obvious trend since 2015 was that multinational pharmaceutical companies have collaborated with early-stage, small-sized R&D enterprises, both local and foreign, to boost the R&D efficiency. Such models have released much potential and achieved results in the development of anti-tumor immune-suppressive therapies, cell therapies, gene editing, and bispecific antibodies," the white paper stated.

"Such R&D investment is a reflection of China's industrial chain in innovative medicines as well as global integration process in new drug development."

The committee also made suggestions in the white paper that drugs and diagnostic techniques related to public health should be involved in the country's priority approval and review channel. The committee added that China should be part of the global multi-center clinical trials for preventive vaccines and that the country should allow vaccines not yet registered in the country to be imported under emergency or other special circumstances.

Members of the committee said that they will continue to respond to the Health China 2030 Initiative and be committed to sustainable development of China's public health causes and the construction and optimization of the global public health system.

"We believe that, in the upcoming one to two decades, sustainable development in China's ecosystem of pharmaceutical innovation will attract more capital and high-end R&D talent to the market, supporting China's leading role in this realm worldwide," the report stated.

The third China International Import Expo Enterprise Alliance consists of 156 exhibitors, all of which are Fortune 500 companies or industry leading enterprises. They have established seven special committees at the CIIE across different sectors -- public health and epidemic prevention, dairy, industrial digital transformation, auto innovative development, smart supply chain, daily consumer products, and sports.

Nine sessions of activities, such as policy exchange conferences, roundtable talks, and subforums were held by the special committees at the CIIE, during which relevant industrial reports were published and the CIIE will share here to better serve our professional exhibitors and visitors.

The special committee of public health and epidemic prevention at CIIE is an initiative to discuss and showcase internationally advanced products, technologies and services in public health and epidemic prevention. It is also an effort to showcase the industry's latest developing trends and promote its continuous growth.