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Great Wall New Media · Ji Yun · Hebei Fights the Epidemic — An Exclusive Interview with Wu Hengyao, General Manager of Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

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Time：2020-03-07

We know that during the recent pandemic, Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical has been working overtime around the clock to ensure the supply of medicines. They’ve accomplished many “impossible” tasks and fought numerous tough battles. Today, despite his busy schedule, General Wu has joined our livestream to share with us the stories behind Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical’s efforts to maintain supply and support frontline epidemic control efforts during this challenging time.

We know that during the recent pandemic, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has been working overtime around the clock to ensure the supply of medicines. They’ve accomplished many “impossible” tasks and fought numerous tough battles. Today, General Wu has taken time out from his busy schedule to join our livestream—exactly to share with us the stories behind Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical’s efforts to maintain supply and support frontline epidemic control efforts during this challenging period.

Speaking of tough challenges, we must first mention the “urgent task dispatch order” that Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical received at 6 p.m. on February 19. The order required us to overcome all difficulties and deliver 50,000 boxes of Abidol Hydrochloride capsules in batches to Hubei Province by February 26. At the time, our company successfully completed this mission with flying colors.

Could General Wu please give us an overview of the situation at that time? What specific difficulties did we overcome?

At 6 p.m. on February 19, we received an “Emergency Task Dispatch Order” from the Medical Supplies Guarantee Group of the National Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism for the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic, requesting us to overcome all difficulties and deliver 600,000 capsules of abidor hydrochloride in batches to Hubei Province by the 26th.

Upon receiving the “Emergency Task Dispatch Order,” Qu Jiguang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group Company, immediately expressed his agreement and made arrangements overnight, demanding that the task requirements be implemented to the letter and that every effort be made to ensure the supply of epidemic prevention materials to Hubei. Providing support to Hubei and serving the overall national interest is our pharmaceutical company’s due responsibility. We must urgently address Hubei’s needs and the nation’s urgent demands, and deliver this batch of medicines to Hubei at the earliest possible moment.

We decisively halted production on certain minor infusion product lines, reorganized our core personnel, and prioritized ramping up production of urgently needed clinical medications. Departments such as finance, warehousing, and transportation suspended other tasks, coordinated closely, and worked in tandem. The sales department responded swiftly, promptly engaged with customers, adjusted supply orders, and made every effort to ensure the successful completion of the “transportation and distribution task.”

At 2:30 p.m. on the 20th, we quickly organized the loading of the vehicles. At 4:00 p.m., the large truck tasked with transporting 600,000 capsules of abidol hydrochloride set off from Shijiazhuang, traveling through the night at full speed. By 9:00 a.m. on the 21st, the medicines had arrived at the destination—the Hubei branch of Sinopharm Holdings. From receiving the order to delivering the emergency medications to Wuhan, less than 39 hours had elapsed.

In addition to this emergency shipment, Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical has also donated a large quantity of emergency medical supplies. Could you briefly tell us about the details of these donations? Which specific regions in Hubei Province have received the medicines we’ve sent? As of today, how much medicine have we donated to Hubei in total?

On January 25 and January 27, we successively dispatched a total of 230,000 bags (bottles) of moxifloxacin hydrochloride sodium injection and basic infusion solutions to Wuhan and Enshi in Hubei Province.

Following the donation of 2 million yuan worth of moxifloxacin sodium injection to designated hospitals in Wuhan on January 27, on February 14, another donation of 150,000 yuan worth of moxifloxacin hydrochloride sodium injection and other emergency medical supplies was made to Shennongjia Forestry District, which is receiving paired support from Hebei Province.

With the completion of Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital, as well as the commissioning of eight makeshift hospitals, 6,000 boxes containing a total of 72,000 capsules of abidol hydrochloride were promptly delivered to the “Two Mountains” hospitals. In early February, by participating in the centralized bidding and procurement of emergency medicines in Hubei Province, we allocated 400 units—each unit containing 32,000 bottles—of levofloxacin sodium chloride injection to the eight makeshift hospitals, providing support for clinical treatment.

As of now, we have cumulatively donated emergency medical supplies worth 2.57 million yuan to areas including Wuhan, Hubei Province, and the Shennongjia Forestry District.

Speaking of donated medications, we can’t help but mention Arbidol.

On February 19, Abidol was included in the “Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (Trial Version 6)” issued by the National Health Commission. We’ve learned that there are five pharmaceutical companies nationwide capable of producing Abidol, and Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical is one of them. Could Mr. Wu please share with us the current operational status of the oral dosage form workshop’s abidol hydrochloride capsule production line? And what about the current stock levels?

Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical is one of only five pharmaceutical companies in China that are qualified to produce Abidol formulations. Abidol hydrochloride capsules have played a positive role on the front lines of this epidemic prevention and control effort. Faced with rapidly growing demand for emergency medicines, since January 24—the eve of the Lunar New Year—we’ve urgently reorganized our staff, working tirelessly around the clock. Our production lines have been operating at full capacity, running three shifts daily, which has doubled our daily output to one million capsules.

Now, our abidol production workshop has undergone new changes. Following the workshop’s renovation, we’ve optimized and fine-tuned both the production molds and machine speeds, shifting from a “mass manpower approach” to technology-driven operations. As a result, production efficiency has increased by 20%, ensuring a stable market supply of abidol capsules.

I’ve heard that our production line has been operating continuously and without interruption since January 24. After the Spring Festival, several production lines have also been gradually restarted, and more than 3,000 employees are working tirelessly on the front lines of epidemic prevention and control production. Could General Wu briefly share with us the current status of resuming work and production at Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical?

We are adhering to a multi-pronged approach that includes epidemic prevention and control, scientific production scheduling, transportation guarantees, pharmaceutical R&D, and project construction, ensuring that we achieve both effective epidemic prevention and robust business development.

Currently, Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical has fully resumed production and operations, and all work is proceeding smoothly and in an orderly manner. The daily outbound volume of its flagship product, intravenous solutions, has reached over 4.5 million bottles, returning to normal levels. While ensuring supply to the frontline of the epidemic response, more than 400 sales personnel—except those stationed in Hubei—have already returned to their workplaces, proactively serving the market, and business operations are now fully back to normal and running smoothly.

We’re walking on two legs and remain committed to export sales. In February, we exported over 6 million bottles of infusion products to customers in countries such as Southeast Asia and Africa—representing a 17.6% increase compared to the same period last year—and have already surpassed our projected target.

After resuming work and production, how has Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical managed to simultaneously control the epidemic and resume operations?

We have implemented a grid-based prevention and control management system, building a robust defense to safeguard the health and safety of our employees. We have screened over 4,500 registered employees, and this intricately interwoven grid-based management ensures that there are no blind spots or oversights in our oversight.

We are fully implementing the “two-point, one-line” work-and-life model for employees and have introduced a “health code.” Employees will have their temperature taken three times—from entering the factory, to entering the workshop, and finally upon arriving at their dormitories. Before starting their shifts, they must sanitize their hands, and dining will be conducted with social distancing. A series of stringent protective measures, including weekly distribution of masks, are in place to ensure comprehensive safety.

How has the economic impact on businesses during the pandemic fared now that full resumption of work and production has been achieved? What are the plans moving forward?

Although the ongoing epidemic prevention and control measures have posed considerable challenges to business personnel traveling to the market to carry out their work, these difficulties will eventually pass. Our business objectives remain unchanged—we are determined to achieve growth and strive for a strong start in the first quarter, thus making greater contributions to securing a dual victory in both epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development.

Currently, the most pressing task for businesses is to ensure the production of medicines needed on the front lines of epidemic prevention and control. At the same time, we will deepen our services, invigorate and unlock market potential, accelerate product sales, and coordinate efforts in both domestic and international markets. We will place particular emphasis on expanding and increasing the market share of large-volume infusions, small-volume injections, and specialty products, while also boosting the proportion of high-value-added products sold, thereby enhancing the quality and efficiency of our business operations.

While supporting frontline efforts, we are also accelerating research and development innovation. We are expediting the initiation of projects for innovative drugs targeting the novel coronavirus and anti-tumor therapies. At the same time, we are conducting re-studies and bioequivalence evaluations of antiviral and antibiotic drugs such as abidol hydrochloride and moxifloxacin hydrochloride, providing strong support for the transformation of our enterprise’s growth drivers.

In addition, the new formulation and biopharmaceutical industrial park project—designed to commercialize high-end pharmaceutical formulations for enterprises—has been fully launched. This project represents a strategic move by Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical to accelerate its development and achieve a transformation of growth drivers. A batch of innovative drugs and high-end generic drugs with strong market competitiveness will be established here. Once the project is completed and reaches full production capacity, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical’s total sales revenue is expected to surpass the 10-billion-yuan mark.

“Alright, thank you so much, General Wu! Through General Wu’s introduction, we’ve truly felt the sense of responsibility and commitment held by us Hebei pharmaceutical enterprises. ‘If you come from Ji, then settle down with peace of mind.’ As the ‘hardcore force’ in our fight against the epidemic, Hebei’s pharmaceutical companies have made every Yanzhao native feel immensely proud. Here, we’d also like to pay tribute to all the Hebei pharmaceutical workers who’ve been tirelessly fighting on the front lines of ensuring supply and production!”

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The editor-in-chief of the economic news section of China Business News visited Shisi Pharmaceutical for an interview.

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The editor-in-chief of the economic news section of China Business News visited Shisi Pharmaceutical for an interview.

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