“China’s rapid development in the life sciences field is not something that happened overnight, but rather the result of decades of accumulation,” said Dr. Andy Plump, President of Global R&D at Takeda.
Dr. Lin Wang, Senior Vice President of Global R&D, Head of Global R&D Regions, and Head of Takeda R&D China and Asia-Pacific Center, believes that the driving force from China’s drug regulatory authorities, the acceleration brought by policies, and the motivation from experts are all important components of the innovation ecosystem.
Dr. Plump also believes that in China, the scientific research capabilities of experts, government support and regulatory push for innovation, and entrepreneurs’ courage and skill in transforming excellent research results into products form a synergistic force. In the future, China’s new R&D achievements may make innovative improvements on existing mechanisms of related targets.
“In recent years, China has already produced many best-in-class and first-in-class innovations. In our collaborations with renowned hospitals in Shanghai, we have also seen some targets with first-in-class potential.” Dr. Wang stated that China’s innovations can not only help local patients but also benefit patients worldwide.
“The drug TAK-861 for treating type 1 narcolepsy is a very good example. China participated not only in the Phase III study but also in the Phase I study.” Dr. Wang gave an example, noting that China’s large patient base and the professional capabilities of researchers and clinical centers are all contributing to Takeda’s global R&D. The key is to involve China early in global R&D and discussions.
Dr. Wang pointed out that China is becoming increasingly strong in technological fields such as AI, which can bring acceleration to global R&D. They hope to further deepen their R&D strategy in China.
