From May 17 to 19, 2024, the 16th China International Drug Information Conference and 2024 DIA China Annual Conference was held at the Suzhou International Expo Center. As an important domestic and international professional exchange platform for drug research and development, the China Annual Conference will focus on the latest global drug regulatory trends, technological innovation and its transformation and application in drug development, global drug synchronous development strategy, and overseas layout of emerging markets, gathering nearly 1,000 professionals from all walks of life such as drug regulation, medical research, industry leaders and patient representatives from all over the world to enhance exchanges, catalyze consensus, broaden horizons, and participate in the event.
With the theme of "Creating Vitality and Empowering New Realms", Boehringer Ingelheim's booth provided an overview of the Chinese team's progress in launching "China IN" and upgrading to "China Key", as well as the solid steps and fruitful results from "global simultaneous R&D and submission" to "global simultaneous approval and listing". In addition, the booth further showcased the company's remarkable progress in accelerating R&D in the fields of cardiorenal metabolism, inflammation and immunity, oncology and mental health, as well as innovative exploration of diversified collaborations to empower drug R&D.
【2024 DIA Boehringer Ingelheim Booth】
Pharmaceutical R&D meets scientific and technological change – Boehringer Ingelheim shines with the light of R&D innovation
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of DIA, Dr. Wei Zhang, Head of R&D and Medicine of Boehringer Ingelheim Greater China and Head of Inflammatory Immunotherapy in China at Boehringer Ingelheim, as the chairman of this year's DIA conference, said in his speech at the 2024 ICH Outlook that since joining the ICH, China has accelerated the internationalization of drug regulation through continuous reform. Today, the NMPA has basically completed the implementation of all 68 guiding principles of ICH. At the same time, the Chinese industry has a deep understanding of these guiding principles in R&D practice, which has accelerated the pace of global innovative drugs entering the Chinese market and further enhanced the domestic R&D system and capabilities. As one of the important participants, the Drug Research and Development Committee (RDPAC) of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (CEPA) assists the NMPA in building a convergence platform model, uniting relevant associations, industry practitioners, experts, etc., to promote in-depth exchanges between all parties, discuss and implement solutions, and promote ICH industry training and local transformation. In the future, RDPAC hopes to work with multiple parties to continue to accelerate the implementation of the ICH Guidelines in China, optimize the review and approval system, improve the review efficiency, accelerate cross-border pharmaceutical R&D, tap local innovation assets, comprehensively drive the ecosystem of innovation and development, and contribute to the high-quality development of China's pharmaceutical industry.
【Speech by Dr. Zhang Wei at the 2024 DIA Conference】
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2024 DIA Conference, Dr. Wei Zhang said, "I am very excited about the results of this year's ICH DAY. From the 2015 China Food and Drug Administration's plan to carry out the reform of the review and approval system, to the policies issued by local governments, to the promotion of clinical research to a strategic level by domestic hospitals and the start of talent training, industry practitioners, as the 'main force of new quality productivity', have continuously broken through themselves and achieved fruitful results. For example, Boehringer Ingelheim pesolimab continues to break industry records, and finally achieves a breakthrough such as 'world premiere'. This is not only the successful experience of an enterprise, but also the collective achievement of the entire Chinese pharmaceutical innovation force. At present, although there is still a lag in the implementation of global innovative drugs in China, I believe that with the continuous and in-depth cooperation between multiple parties, we can not only help the sustainable development of innovative drugs, but also bring benefits to more patients, thereby promoting the research and development of new drugs in China to a higher level. ”
At this year's DIA conference, 24 speakers from Boehringer Ingelheim from different departments actively participated in a number of important topic sessions, and conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as drug lifecycle management, patient-centered drug development practices, data transparency and communication optimization, data standardization and its application in new environments, and drug development of rare tumor targets in the form of academic exchanges such as thematic discussions and sub-forums.
On the opening day, a small forum entitled "Innovation in Future Pharma" was held at Boehringer Ingelheim's booth. Dr. Yinghui Xu, Institute of Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Industry, Fudan University, Dr. Feng Ren, Co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Insilico Medicine, and Mr. Yongbin Ge, Senior Partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm, together with Mr. Shuyan Cheng, Head of Boehringer Ingelheim Digital Trials Asia, and Ms. Weiwen Zhou, R&D and Medical Human Resources Partner, discussed the four dimensions of technological innovation, industry application, compliance risk and talent development. In-depth discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on the pharmaceutical industry in the next 5~10 years. Shared current visible signs of change to help attendees better understand future trends, and provided advice and planning on technology developments, industry challenges, regulatory compliance, job opportunities, and talent development.
【“未来医药创新Innovation in Future Pharma”小型论坛现场】
Responding to patient expectations with innovative measures – the story behind the world premiere of pesolimab
In addition, Boehringer Ingelheim will hold another mini-forum on May 18, where the company's key R&D staff will tell the story behind the world premiere of pesolimab. In March this year, the global multi-center simultaneous research and development of the innovative drug Shenglizo ® family hypodermic injection preparation was approved in China, making it the first global multi-center simultaneous research and development of the first global innovative drug among multinational pharmaceutical companies to be approved in China, earlier than the United States, the European Union and Japan, creating a new era in the industry! Therefore, the "right time, place and people" behind the first batch of pesolimab is also the focus of attention and expectation of industry colleagues.
From the beginning of R&D, Boehringer Ingelheim has fully integrated Chinese patients into the concurrent R&D and enrolled enough Chinese patients in global multi-center registration trials. Thanks to the Chinese government's determination to accelerate the review and approval of new drugs and the promotion of Boehringer Ingelheim's "China Key" project, Boehringer Ingelheim China has continuously promoted and opened up the process of cooperation with relevant teams in the headquarters from the clinical research stage to the on-site verification stage, and at the same time cooperated with the regulatory authorities on the registration path, and each link is interlinked and improving. In the end, the Shenglizhuo ® family subcutaneous injection preparation successfully achieved a milestone innovation of simultaneous research and development in China and the world, the first to apply for registration in China, the first to be approved in China, and widely benefited patients of multiple ages in China. In this regard, the members of the product project team will take the marketing process of pesolimab as the core, analyze it in detail from different perspectives, and share their valuable experience with the participants.
As the world's leading biopharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim has always faced the major issues in China's health field, incorporated the needs of Chinese patients into its global R&D strategy, and is committed to bringing more and better innovative products to Chinese patients earlier. It is expected that by 2030, Boehringer Ingelheim's human drug business is expected to achieve more than 25 registration approvals.