BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) -- In the 40 years since entering China, Servier's research and development and investment in China have kept pace with the times and have continued to increase, said Olivier Laureau, President of the Servier Group, the second largest pharmaceutical company in France.
Since entering China in 1979, Servier has registered up to 14 high-quality innovative drugs in China and China has become its pivotal market.
From the initial cooperation with local enterprises to introduce drugs into the Chinese market, to establishing joint ventures to set up factories together, and then to setting up research centers, all this is a reflection not only of Servier's strength, but also of its confidence in China's continuous development.
"If we truly want to integrate into the Chinese market, we may also need to upgrade and transform in the light of China's national conditions and developmental needs", said Olivier Laureau.
As part of Servier China, Servier (Tianjin) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was incorporated into the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone in 2000 and is a modern pharmaceutical plant. The Servier Tianjin plant was officially put into operation in 2002. With a total investment of 40 million euros, Servier is currently expanding the Tianjin plant, with a view to more than doubling its annual production capacity, from 40 million boxes of medicine to about 100 million boxes. This expansion will be completed in 2021.
Servier China has also recently initiated new collaborations with tech companies such as Jingdong and Ali to develop and implement treatment solutions for patients with chronic diseases, and to help improve patients' awareness, treatment, and control of their diseases using advanced digital platforms.
Now, Servier China has become the largest subsidiary of the Servier Group and has maintained a strong growth rate against the backdrop of slowing growth in the Chinese pharmaceutical market.
In the context of the continuous advancement of medical reform, the acceleration of China's pharmaceutical reforms and the upgrading of industry norms have also generated many opportunities for the development of multinational drug companies in China.
"We look at the reform the Chinese government is undertaking in the field of medical policy and feel their strong desire to expedite the introduction of innovative and high-quality drugs to bring health to Chinese patients," said Olivier Laureau. "At the same time, we felt the recognition and encouragement of positive innovation in the field of Chinese medicine and health. For companies like Servier that focus on R&D, these policies and changes in the industry environment are very positive. Servier is willing to further increase cooperation in research and development in China."
Claude Bertrand, Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Servier Pharmaceuticals, noted that, in addition to clinical research and development, there was continuous innovation in the five major areas of cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, immune inflammation and cancer.
Servier China is closely associated with China's biotechnology innovation clusters in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Looking back on China's 40-year development path, Olivier Laureau said, "Servier China and all relevant parties have gained deep mutual trust, which has led Servier to further achievements and long-term development in China."
Founded in 1954, the Servier Group currently has 66 subsidiaries worldwide, with international businesses reaching 149 countries. (Edited by Tong Wei, tongwei@xinhua.org)
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