GenSci' s Inaugural R&D Day 2024: Innovation in Gene, Science in Action

Amidst the tide of competition, how can pharmaceutical companies differentiate their products through R&D innovation to maintain a competitive edge?

"Innovation in Gene, Science in Action"–– GenSci's inaugural R&D Day, aimed at showcasing innovative R&D achievements, exploring avenues for exporting innovative drugs, and advancing international strategies and collaborations, successfully concluded on October 17, 2024.

Over 100 industry experts, including senior executives from Changchun High-Tech Industry (Group)  and GenSci, R&D and business development leaders from multinational pharmaceutical companies, and partners from renowned investment institutions and strategic consulting firms, attended the event in person. Additionally, more than 12,000 visitors followed the grand event online.

GenSci R&D Day on the Spot

01 Charting a Path of Continuous Innovation

Dr. Lei Jin, Founder, General Manager, and Chief Scientist of GenSci, General Manager of Changchun High-Tech Industry (Group)

Dr. Lei Jin, Founder, General Manager, and Chief Scientist of GenSci, as well as General Manager of Changchun High-Tech Industry (Group), officially kicked off this year's R&D Day. He stated, "In nearly 30 years since its establishment, GenSci has accumulated extensive capabilities and experience across the entire pharmaceutical industry chain, laying a robust foundation for the company to expand into multiple disease areas and develop a diversified product portfolio. In the future, GenSci will also steadfastly advance its internationalization process."

Through relentless innovation, GenSci is evolving from a global leader in the field of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) into a global innovation engine across multiple therapeutic areas. Currently, the company boasts over 70 marketed products, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostic devices, and medical nutrition products.

Dr. Jin emphasized that fundamental innovation will be a key catalyst for the company's sustained,high-quality development. GenSci has established five proprietary technology platforms, demonstrating its comprehensive global R&D and manufacturing expertise. This expertise spans the entire spectrum of biopharmaceuticals, chemical drugs, specialized formulations, live biotherapeutic products, medical devices, and medical nutrition products.

By leveraging advanced drug technology platforms such as sustained-release technology for protein drugs, antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology, and small ribonucleic acid (RNA) technology, the company has developed several innovative drugs with novel designs and differentiated clinical value, strongly supporting the company's long-term value growth. In the next five years, GenSci plans to launch over four leading innovative drugs, more than five innovative device products, and over 20 medical nutrition products annually, further empowering the company's development.

This ambition is supported by substantial R&D investments. GenSci continuously fuels its innovative drug R&D with its strong profitability, investing over RMB 2.4 billion in R&D in 2023, which accounted for 16.48% of its revenue.

To achieve the transition from a domestic leader to an international frontrunner, Dr. Jin has set a goal "for GenSci to be among the top 10 Chinese pharmaceutical companies by market capitalization by 2030". He believes that with this clearly defined strategic positioning and a diversified and differentiated product matrix underway, this 2030 target is well within reach.

02 Eight Innovative Projects Unveiled

In recent years, GenSci has strategically expanded into several key disease areas, with a development pipeline covering various drug types, including small molecule drugs, biologics, ADCs, and RNA-based drugs. Many of these projects demonstrate "FIC" and "BIC" potential.

GenSci Presentation Panel, from left to right: Dr. John L. Xu, Executive Vice President of Discovery Research in Immunology and Oncology; Dr. Xia Yuanfeng, Executive Director of the Chemistry Discovery Center; Dr. Pan Chao, Medical Executive Director; Dr. Sun Gao, Senior Director of the Endocrine and Metabolic Research Department

At this event, GenSci unveiled eight innovative drug projects, including the independently developed dual-target ADC projects GenSci143, GenSci140, and GenSci139; the PD-1 agonist GenSci120; GenSci098 for the treatment of thyroid eye disease; the KIF18A inhibitor GenSci122 for ovarian and breast cancers; the NK3R antagonist GenSci074 for vasomotor symptoms; and the NLRP3 inhibitor GenSci129 for inflammatory diseases. These innovations span key therapeutic areas such as oncology, immunology, metabolism, and endocrinology, offering novel treatment strategies for various unmet clinical needs like solid tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, menopausal hot flashes, and thyroid eye disease.

Poster Exhibition on the R&D Day

During the roundtable section, R&D, business development, and investment portfolio leaders and managers from Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson, EpimAb, and Qiming Venture Partners shared their experiences and discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by innovative drugs entering international markets. Going global with innovative drugs has become a shared objective in the industry, and the decision to embark on independent internationalization or to leverage strategic partnerships is contingent upon the developmental strategy of each organization.

Roundtable Section 

Dr. Qicong Hu, a global partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), delivered an engaging presentation on "Successful Cases of Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies Going Global". He noted that there has been a marked increase in the number of Chinese innovative drugs entering international markets and the advancement of China's innovative pharmaceuticals has seen a dramatic surge, with these drugs swiftly gaining traction in international arenas.

Dr. Qicong Hu, Global Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 

He highlighted that the journey to successful internationalization hinges on four pivotal factors: the differentiation of products, robust clinical and regulatory competencies, apt commercialization strategies, and a diverse talent pool with a global perspective. Furthermore, he outlined three essential steps in the globalization process: identifying lucrative markets, crafting tailored clinical trials and business models, and forging partnership with capable local partners.

03 "Innovation in Gene, Science in Action"

This year's R&D Day marks a significant milestone for GenSci, as it presents an opportunity to exhibit our R&D accomplishments, strategize our global footprint, and proactively expand our international collaboration network.

Looking ahead, GenSci will continue to scale up its R&D team and increase its R&D investment. It will also further advance strategic collaborations to accelerate the progress of its pipeline projects, speed up the commercialization processes, and fortify its internationalization strategy. GenSci will remain its ongoing commitment to advancing the development and commercialization of innovative drugs with the aim of bringing benefits to patients across the globe.

Group photo