Shanghai International Medical Zone opened in 2003 and is now home to more than 1,000 well-known medical institutions and enterprises. [Photo provided to english.pudong.gov.cn]

Shanghai International Medical Zone announced at its 20th anniversary conference on April 10 that the highly anticipated Zhangjiang Gene Island will officially launch in the second quarter of the year.

Having continuously developed since its opening in 2003, Shanghai International Medical Zone gained approval for the establishment of Zhangjiang Cell Industry Park in June 2019, and followed it with another major expansion in October 2021 when Zhangjiang Cell and Gene Industry Park was unveiled.

The medical zone is characterized by highly integrated production, education, research, and application functions, which have enabled it to produce revolutionary medical products like the world's first subcutaneous injection PD-L1 antibody drug Envafolimab. The drug has already shown great promise in treating various types of cancer, and the medical zone is continuously striving to develop even more breakthrough treatments in the future.

Covering a construction area of 160,000 square meters, Zhangjiang Gene Island is poised to attract innovative companies that focus on cell and gene technology to the medical zone, further cementing its position as a globally influential medical science and technology innovation hub in China.

The medical zone is set to continue strengthening its specialized fields, gaining an advantage in frontier areas, such as synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience. By supporting the joint development of various upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, the zone aims to promote the successful implementation of even more medical technology innovations.

The launch of Zhangjiang Gene Island is expected to bring even greater success to the medical zone, attracting more high-growth potential enterprises and paving the way for more breakthroughs in medical technology.