Acknowledging China's innovative biotech environment, UK-headquartered pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said it is confident about further investing in the country, and working with local universities as well as startups to jointly build an innovative ecosystem.

On Saturday, the company opened a new global strategic research and development center in Beijing, its sixth globally and second in China. With an investment of $2.5 billion, the R&D center features an artificial intelligence and data science hub to accelerate the translation of early-stage research into clinical development.

Alongside the company's global strategic R&D center in Shanghai, the Beijing center will lead new drug discoveries and clinical development, transforming innovation into medicines. Specifically, it will expand collaborations with local trial sites, universities, and biotech companies to deepen understanding about diseases and incubate innovation.

Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer of AstraZeneca, said: "Our new global strategic R&D center will harness Beijing's world-leading scientific ecosystem and AI capabilities to accelerate the next generation of innovative medicines. Working in partnership with China's academic research and biotech community, we will combine cutting-edge technology and deep scientific expertise to transform patient care in China and worldwide."

He Jing, senior vice-president and head of R&D China at AstraZeneca, said: "In 2024, Chinese biotech firms accounted for about one-third of all global license-out deals, and the number of newly added clinical trials in China every year far exceeded that of the United States. These gave us more confidence to enhance the R&D investment in the country."

In 2024, AstraZeneca invested $475 million in a new small molecule factory in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. It has also invested around $750 million in an inhalation aerosol manufacturing and supply site in Qingdao, Shandong province.

"Chinese biotech startups are lean and fast. Taking advantage of Chinese biotech startups' high efficiency in early R&D, plus pharmaceutical multinational corporations' global network, there can be an innovative, highly efficient ecosystem built, to enable more molecules to go into clinical stage," she said.

Yuan Shuai, deputy head of the investment department at the China City Development Academy, said: "In the process of cooperation, pharmaceutical MNCs bring advanced R&D concepts, mature technical platforms and abundant financial support to accelerate the R&D process and raise R&D quality. Meanwhile, they can take advantage of local startups' flexibility and insights of the domestic market to fit into local demand in a quicker, better manner. With MNCs and local startups co-building a benign ecosystem, innovative products and solutions developed in China can be launched in the global market, realizing the goal of 'in China, for the world'."

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn