China has evolved from a massive market into an indispensable source of global healthcare innovation, driven by fast-track review pathways, expanded global collaborations and an artificial intelligence-integrated healthcare model, a senior executive told China Daily.
"China has moved from manufacturing to clinical trial expertise, and is now becoming a source of discovery and innovation for the rest of the world," said Jean-Christophe Tellier, CEO of multinational bio-pharmaceutical firm UCB.
Tellier made the assessment during a visit to Beijing earlier this month that brought nearly the entire global leadership team to mark the company's 30th anniversary in China.
"Bringing the executive committee with me — and almost everyone came — was a symbol of China's importance," Tellier said. "When people saw all of us here, they realized that when we said China is important for us, it's a reality."
On June 4, UCB signed an agreement to establish the China Integrated Operation Center in the Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu province, to strengthen end-to-end commercialization, distribution and supply capabilities in China.
