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ABOUT USAffiliated to SSY Group Limited, Hebei Guangxiang Technology Co., Ltd., is a high-tech enterprise specializing in drug research and technology development.
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INNOVATIONSSY Group Limited has built a relatively perfect scientific research and innovation system with the synergy between “industry, academia, research and application” based on multi-disciplinary integration and multi-directional combination.
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SUBORDINATEThe group has decided to establish research institutes in its subsidiaries, Hebei Ghuangxiang Drug Research Institute, Jiangsu Best Medical Material Research Institute, and Hebei Hanlin Biological Research Institute.
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RECRUITWe actively establish a joint talent cultivation mechanism between schools and enterprises, and currently have over 500 high-level talents in various fields such as drug research, analysis, and clinical practice.
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CONTACTWe will continue to strengthen innovation-driven development, vigorously promote the integration of production and research, constantly improve the five domains: new drugs, biological drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, generic drugs and APIs.
A New Era, a New Journey, and Great New Achievements | Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Group Integrates Industry, Academia, and Research, Receiving Approval for New Products Every Month
Category:
Time：2022-12-22
On December 5, in the liquid-phase laboratory of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Group, Yang Xian, head of the group’s Innovation Department, stared intently at the instrument screen, carefully recording the purity data for ADN-9, an innovative drug for combating liver fibrosis. Team members were busily working—some handling small and large test tubes and various instruments—each person engaged in a tense yet orderly manner.
Recently, at the liquid-phase laboratory of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical Group, researchers are conducting experiments to develop new products. Photo by Wu Yuqing, a correspondent for Hebei Daily.
Hebei Daily reporter Ma Yanming
[Keywords]
Strengthen the role of enterprises as the main body of technological innovation.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposes: “Strengthen the deep integration of industry, academia, and research led by enterprises, reinforce goal-oriented approaches, and enhance the level of commercialization and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements. Consolidate the leading role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, leverage the guiding and supporting role of key technology-based enterprises, create a favorable environment for the growth of small, medium, and micro-sized technology enterprises, and promote the deep integration of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain.”
[News Scene]
On December 5, in the liquid-phase laboratory of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical Group, Yang Xian, head of the group’s Innovation Department, stared intently at the instrument screen, carefully recording the purity data for ADN-9, an innovative drug for combating liver fibrosis. Team members were busily working—some handling small and large test tubes and various instruments—each person engaged in a tense yet orderly manner.
Yang Xian introduced that ADN-9 is a new class of drug for the treatment of liver fibrosis. Preliminary research data indicate that ADN-9 stands out for its high efficacy, low toxicity, and multi-target synergistic effects. Once successfully developed, this drug is expected to fill a domestic gap. This marks the fifth first-class new drug that Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has been researching, following earlier drugs such as NP-01, which is used against tumors.
In recent years, Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical has primarily focused on the production of large-volume intravenous solutions, giving rise to the impression that it was “dominant in the large-volume IV solution sector.”
Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical’s internal quality standards and production and sales scale for intravenous solutions rank among the top in China. However, against the backdrop of the deepening new healthcare reform, with policies such as restrictions on infusions and antibiotics, as well as the “two-invoice system,” intravenous solution products are facing a new situation and significant challenges.
Qu Jiguang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical Group, introduced that, in response to the general trend of industrial upgrading, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has clearly proposed a research and development strategy that combines generic drug development with innovative drug development, highlights distinctive features, and focuses on key areas. The group is comprehensively promoting the development and research of generic drugs, innovative drugs, specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients, and products undergoing consistency evaluation. The group has invested 700 million yuan to build a pharmaceutical research institute covering an area of 50,000 square meters, providing strong support for the company’s transformation and development.
Whenever night falls, the lights in the laboratories of the Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical Research Institute always remain on. More than 500 R&D personnel, with an average age of under 30, carry out experiments and analyze data at their respective posts, accelerating the early translation and implementation of R&D projects.
Since the beginning of this year, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has obtained 36 product approvals of various types, including 27 formulation approvals—more than the total number approved over the previous decade. Currently, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has over 200 new products in development, covering a wide range of therapeutic areas such as clinical anti-tumor, antiviral, antibacterial, cardiovascular, digestive, and anesthetic treatments. In the first nine months of this year, the company ranked first nationwide in both the number of approved and submitted applications for specialized generic drug development.
“When the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research was first put into operation in 2020, it was already considered quite good if Sihua Pharmaceutical could get two or three products approved by the National Medical Products Administration each year. Now, we’re seeing two to three products approved every single month,” said Qu Jiguang. Currently, Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical’s product portfolio is accelerating its shift from ‘having or not having’ to ‘how good it is,’ and its R&D efforts are moving from generic drug development toward original, innovative research. A growing number of complex formulations and innovative drugs are being incorporated into our R&D pipeline.
Qu Jiguang stated that it is essential to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party, and to uphold the principles that science and technology are the primary productive force, talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the primary driving force. Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical must continue to deepen the integration of industry, academia, research, and application, pool innovative resources, and focus on pioneering and leading-edge scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as the development of innovative drugs in areas such as antibody drugs, anti-tumor therapies, and novel and complex formulations. The company should actively participate in major national science and technology projects and enhance its independent innovation capabilities.
R&D investment is one of the key indicators of innovative capability. From 216 million yuan in 2020 to 332 million yuan in 2021, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has continuously increased its R&D investment, strengthening its independent innovation capacity. In the first half of this year, the company’s R&D investment has already nearly reached its total R&D expenditure for the entire year of 2020. Currently, R&D expenses account for nearly 10% of Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical’s sales revenue, placing it among the top companies in China’s pharmaceutical industry.
“Innovation-driven development is, in essence, talent-driven,” said Qu Jiguang. Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical treats its research personnel as highly sought-after talents and vigorously implements a talent-priority development strategy. The company offers them competitive salaries and access to first-class research facilities domestically, and has even built “Expert Apartments” to alleviate concerns about housing. Moreover, the company has provided 102 vehicles for the R&D backbone staff as their personal transportation, further boosting everyone’s enthusiasm for work.
To accelerate the commercialization of innovative products, Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical relies not only on its own R&D capabilities but also places great emphasis on leveraging external expertise and wisdom. Currently, Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical is collaborating with expert teams—including Academician Wang Guangji of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the research team led by Lu Tao, Vice President of China Pharmaceutical University—to jointly tackle key challenges in the development of small-molecule compounds and pioneering generic drugs. At the same time, Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical has established a joint talent-development mechanism with universities such as China Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, and Hebei Medical University.
The continuous influx of talented individuals and projects has infused the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research with vibrant energy. “The Institute was built according to the industry’s highest growth rate and most advanced design concepts at the time,” said Qu Jiguang, “but we never expected that in just three years, it would already start falling short.” Advanced instruments and equipment now occupy one-third of the Institute’s total usable space. Due to the rapid progress of various R&D efforts, these instruments and equipment are now struggling to meet the growing demands of research and development.
Qu Jiguang stated that Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical will accelerate the construction and planning of a batch of industrialization projects with strong driving capabilities in the Shijiazhuang High-tech Zone and Economic Development Zone, striving to achieve full production capacity and effectiveness at the earliest possible date and ensure these projects are successfully implemented. Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical aims to rank among the top 50 Chinese pharmaceutical companies and enter the top 20 in terms of innovation. By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the company aspires to exceed 20 billion yuan in total output value and business revenue.
[Reporter’s Notes]
“I feel like there’s never enough time each day, and I need to strive to complete the Phase I clinical application for this project as soon as possible.”
“Results are achieved through hard work and proactive effort—without striving, you’ll fall behind. We’ve long since become accustomed to this working style.”
During the interview, the reporter deeply felt from the R&D staff’s remarks their strong sense of responsibility and urgency in pursuing innovation. As the “leader” in China’s large-volume parenteral solutions industry, Shijiazhuang Fourth Pharmaceutical has not only maintained its traditional strengths but has also continuously expanded into the fields of innovative drugs and generic drugs, achieving remarkable results—achievements that would have been impossible without the hard work of highly qualified personnel.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasizes that “talent is the primary resource.” Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical consistently upholds the principles of respecting labor, valuing knowledge, honoring talent, and cherishing creativity, enabling it to continuously generate breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation and transform these innovations into real productive forces—a practice that is worth learning from.
Editor: Lei Lei
Editor-in-charge: Dahai
Originally published in the Hebei Daily
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