Chongqing - The life and health industry is spearheading the development of a high-quality open economy for Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area, the first national development and opening-up area in inland China.

HIFU integrates into the global industry chain

At Chongqing Haifu Medical Technology in the new area, a large screen displays real-time data from Haifu equipment globally, facilitating remote collaborative surgery and technical support. 

With almost three decades of experience in the overseas market, Haifu exemplifies life and health enterprises in Chongqing, seamlessly integrating into the global industry chain.

In 1997, the company pioneered the first Chinese HIFU system with full intellectual property rights, later making its global debut by exporting equipment to the University of Oxford in 2002. HIFU stands as a non-invasive therapeutic technique, offering reduced risk and shorter recovery times compared to traditional treatments.

"The medical field is witnessing a transition towards minimally invasive and non-invasive. HIFU is a game changer, and we aim to have more patients benefit from this technology by expanding our global footprint," said Jiang Gang, general manager of Haifu.

To date, the company has exported its machine to 31 countries and regions and opened more than 60 non-invasive treatment centers globally. In 2004, Haifu was invited to join the establishment of the first international standard for the HIFU industry. Over the years, it has further shaped the industry by participating in the formulation of 13 standards.

Global expansion trend in the CDMO sector

Close to Haifu, Porton Pharma Solutions exemplifies the global expansion trend in the CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organizations) sector, an increasingly favored alternative to pharmaceutical companies' in-house development and manufacturing units. By 2030, the global CDMO market is projected to surpass USD 220 billion.

Porton started by manufacturing anti-HIV drugs for a global industry giant. In 2017, the company saw market potential and extended its service value chain to become a CDMO, followed by an accumulative investment in R&D of more than 1.1 billion over the years.

Porton currently provides CDMO services for small molecules, TIDES, Biologics, and Gene and cell Therapies. It has established R&D arms, manufacturing plants, and offices in Asia, America, and Europe, and it has over 5,000 global employees.

Porton has excelled in crystallization processes, continuous flow reactions, and enzyme catalysis. With a focus on CDMO, it has developed a service portfolio spanning from pre-clinical to commercialization, states Wang Fengping, vice president of Porton. The company has served approximately 800 clients and completed over 2,200 projects worldwide.

The company excels in crystallization processes, continuous flow reactions, and enzyme catalysis. Wang Fengping, Porton's vice president, highlights the company's CDMO focus, offering services from pre-clinical to commercialization. With connections to approximately 800 clients, Porton has completed over 2,200 projects globally.

With companies exploring overseas markets, Chongqing has also seen cutting-edge technologies imported and commercialized.

EVAHEART, Chongqing's inaugural artificial heart, stems from cross-border collaboration. Established in 2014, Chongqing EVAHEART Medical Devices emerged from years of joint research with Waseda University and other top Japanese institutions, specializing in artificial heart R&D, manufacturing, and sales. 

The EVAHEART medical industrial park construction in Liangjiang New Area is underway and slated to open this year, positioning it as China's premier tech hub dedicated to heart failure treatment.

To date, Liangjiang New Area houses 270 enterprises in the industry and is forming an industry cluster comprising enterprise headquarters, R&C centers, manufacturing bases, and services platforms. In 2023, the above-scale industry output in Liangjiang surpassed 10.4 billion, increasing 24.7%.

(The original author is Guo Shuyu from Liangjiang New Area Media Center)