Do you know that developing an innovative drug often takes more than 10 years and costs over USD1 billion in research and development (R&D)?

However, Fosun’s innovative drugs have not only overcome this lengthy and costly challenge, but they have also expanded into over 50 countries and regions, marking a leap from being “China’s new drugs” to becoming “global new drugs”.

Ten years of strategic planning, a qualitative leap in independent innovation

As early as 2008, Fosun decided to focus on developing large-molecule biologics, aiming to produce high-quality and more accessible biologics that meet international standards. This vision led to the founding of Henlius in Shanghai.

In 2019, its first product, HANLIKANG, was launched, marking the first China-developed biosimilar and breaking the long-standing monopoly of foreign pharmaceutical companies.

However, this path has not been easy. The lengthy and costly process of drug development underscores the unique challenges of the pharmaceutical industry. Even when both time and financial investment are met, the success rate for innovative drug development remains below 10%.

In March 2022, just after eight years of development, HANSIZHUANG was launched. This independently developed innovative monoclonal antibody became the world’s first anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody approved for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Currently, Henlius has six products approved for marketing in China, four products approved for marketing internationally, and five marketing applications accepted by the National Medical Products Administration of China, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the European Medicines Agency.

These achievements are rooted in Fosun’s strong innovative R&D capabilities, and its long-term dedication and forward-looking strategy in the biopharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the convergence of top global biopharmaceutical talent, innovative resources, and high-quality biopharmaceutical technology transfer ecosystem has provided a solid foundation for the development of Fosun’s biopharmaceutical industry.

From China to the world, the global expansion of biologics

For biopharmaceuticals,building R&D capabilities alone is not enough to ensure sustainable development. Overseas expansion is a crucial path for the development of China’s innovative drugs.

The overseas expansion and globalization achievements of Fosun’s biologics have been carefully planned and executed. Guided by Fosun’s global vision and development strategy, Henlius has planned for globalization since the development of its very first product. The company develops drugs according to international standards, establishing a high-quality, international R&D and manufacturing system. From the earliest stage of new drug research to every step of the development process, Henlius strictly adheres to international standards.

On the other hand, the manufacturing facility in Shanghai serves as the cornerstone of Fosun’s biopharmaceutical overseas expansion. Henlius’ three manufacturing facilities have successively obtained Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certifications from China, the European Union and the United States, enabling stable commercial supply to markets in Chinese mainland, Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

These international certified manufacturing facilities not only allow the company to leverage industrial advantages of the biopharmaceutical cluster, but also benefit from a strong talent pool. For innovative biologics, high-quality talent is essential both in front-end R&D and in process development. The availability of high-quality talent across all segments plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth product supply and enhancing production capacity.

The development of the biopharmaceutical industry benefits from improvements across the entire chain of “R&D + clinical trials + manufacturing + application”, accelerating the growth of innovative drugs.

Fosun’s CAR-T cell therapy product, Yi Kai Da, has benefited from these improvements. Fosun Kairos successfully completed the comprehensive technology transfer and local launch of the CAR-T cell therapy product in China in just four years, filling the gap in the domestic cell therapy field. In March this year, Yi Kai Da was shipped from the cell factory in Pudong to Hong Kong, marking the first successful overseas expansion of domestic CAR-T cell therapy product.

Shaping the future, driving original innovation

For sustainable innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry, enhancing original innovation capabilities and advancing the entire biopharmaceutical industry chain are especially important.

As a leading enterprise in the industrial chain, Fosun Pharma’s “integrated innovation ecosystem” model would not be possible without the support of local policies. At the same time, as a local enterprise, Fosun actively supports Shanghai’s innovative development in biopharmaceuticals across multiple aspects, including industry, academia, research, and medicine.

In 2024, Henlius partnered with relevant institutions in the Yangtze River Delta to establish the Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Innovation Community, focusing on innovative drug R&D, process technology challenges, and domestic material production.

We believe that as the innovative drug industry accelerates its move toward globalization, the first-mover innovation advantage in biopharmaceuticals will rapidly translate into an industrial advantage, illuminating a brighter future for the biopharmaceutical industry.