Innovation Source, Health Everlasting | 2024 Biopharmaceutical and Synthetic Biology Expert Exchange Conference

The 2024 Biopharmaceutical and Synthetic Biology Expert Exchange Conference, along with the Annual Meeting of the Gene Technology Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, was held in Changzhou Science and Education City from December 14 to 15. With the theme "Innovation Source, Health Everlasting," the event aimed to gather industry insights and discuss the development blueprint for the biopharmaceutical and synthetic biology sectors.

The event was attended by prominent figures, including Jiang Pengju, Vice Mayor of Changzhou, Zhu Zhengqing, Vice Chairman of the Changzhou Municipal Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Science and Education City Management Committee, Chen Haoming, Party Secretary of the School of Life Sciences at Fudan University, and Zhang Dan, Academician and Co-founder of Hillgene. The event also attracted nearly 100 local alumni from the biopharmaceutical industry in Changzhou.

During the conference, the Fudan University Global Alumni Innovation Achievement Transformation Center was inaugurated. The center, jointly established by the Changzhou Science and Education City Management Committee and Fudan University's School of Life Sciences, will focus on cutting-edge fields such as gene testing, life sciences, cell research, and synthetic biology, aiming to build an ecosystem for the life sciences industry. The Changzhou branch of the Gene Technology Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education was also inaugurated.

Academician Zhang Dan delivered a report on advanced therapeutic drug R&D strategies in the context of the global new environment. He highlighted that China's main advantage in innovative drug development is the lower clinical costs in the R&D phase. By strictly following ICH standards, ensuring reliable data quality, and working closely in the lab, clinical, and production stages, China can rapidly advance the translational path for cell and gene therapy (CGT).

Experts and scholars at the event exchanged ideas on topics such as "Advanced Therapeutic Drug Development Strategies in the New Environment," "Key Technologies and Product Development of Viral Vector Gene Therapy," and "Opportunities and Challenges in Biopharmaceutical Innovation."

The conference not only provided a platform for experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs in the biopharmaceutical and synthetic biology fields to collaborate and communicate but also showcased progress in several innovative projects and their transformation needs. It injected new vitality into the development of the biopharmaceutical industry in Changzhou and across the nation.