STA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec (WuXi STA), has signed an investment agreement with the government of Shanghai, Jinshan District to build a new R&D centre. The new facility will further strengthen WuXi STA’s global leading pharmaceutical development and manufacturing platform, enabling drug developers to accelerate their projects from preclinical to commercial stage.

WuXi STA has already established an industry leading process development platform with over 1,000 scientists and five sites located in China and the United States.  The company’s Jinshan site currently focuses on manufacturing innovative Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates from kilo to metric ton scale. The site has been approved by multiple international regulatory agencies, including the US FDA.

The new R&D centre will be located next to the existing Jinshan drug substance manufacturing site, adding more than 30,000 square meters of laboratory space and 500 scientists. Upon completion, the expanded Jinshan campus will be able to offer an integrated one-site solution for partners to push forward innovative APIs and advanced intermediates – from preclinical and clinical development through to global commercial launch. The new campus will also provide access to industry-leading technology platforms such as flow chemistry, biocatalysis, and high potency from laboratory to commercial scale.

Shanghai Jinshan District has enjoyed sustained economic growth in recent years, via its strategic focus on “smart manufacturing”, and has attracted many biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies including WuXi STA. “This new R&D centre in Caojing Town, Jinshan is a result of the long term ‘win-win’ collaboration between the Jinshan government and WuXi STA. The project will further strengthen the life science industry ecosystem in Jinshan District,” said Mr. Quanquan Zhang, Vice Governor of Jinshan.

“The new R&D centre is a reflection of our commitment to better serve customers worldwide and support growth in the local economy, as well as the biopharmaceutical ecosystem in Jinshan,” said Dr. Minzhang Chen, CEO of WuXi STA.  “As we continuously strengthen the capability and capacity of our platform, we will enable more global partners to shorten development timelines and lower the cost of new drug development, improving the lives of people around the world.”

The signing ceremony held in Jinshan was attended by: Mr. Jian Liu (member of Standing Committee, Vice Governor of Jinshan); Mr. Quanquan Zhang (member of Standing Committee, Vice Governor of Jinshan); Mr. Huapin Luo (Secretary of Caojing Town Committee of the CPC); Ms. Liying Qian (Vice Secretary of Caojing Town Committee of the CPC, Mayor of Caojing Town); Dr. Minzhang Chen (Chief Executive Officer of WuXi STA); Mr. Feng Zhang (Vice President of WuXi STA), as well as other local government officials and STA management team members.