Guangzhou: hot spot for global biological medicine industry

Guangzhou is becoming a hot spot for the global biological medicine industry with a range of world-class innovative projects in biological medicine having settled in the city including GE bio-campus project, BeiGene project and the Cold Spring Harbor (Guangzhou) Research Institution project.

On Nov 9, the Canton Nucleic Acids Forum, which is recognized as a premier forum in the field of nucleic acids research and development in China and beyond is set to be hosted in Guangzhou. The event will feature high-profile speakers, led by Nobel Prize winners, prominent international scientists and industry leaders, providing a high-level platform for sharing recent discoveries by scientists and entrepreneurs.

According to Guangzhou's five-year plan (2017-21) for its biological medicine industry, the output value of the industry will reach $130 billion and one to three world Top 500 pharmaceutical companies will settle in the city. They will be joined by three to five leading pharmaceutical enterprises which will set up research and development centers in Guangzhou.

Developing the biological medicine industry is the right course that Guangzhou has chosen, said Zhong Nanshan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the first Guanzhou International Biological Forum held in July.

Currently, a total of five Nobel Prize winners in physiology or medicine have come to Guangzhou, which proves that the city's achievements in biological medicine have become a significant part of the world's achievement in the area.

Guangzhou's biological industry has entered a thrilling moment, according to Craig Mello, winner of Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2006. He came to Guangzhou to seek cooperation opportunities and to help guide more researchers in the city onto the global stage.