Shenzhen Issues "1+3" Documents on Cluster Development of the Biopharmaceutical Industry; Up to RMB 300 Million Funding for Key Cell-Drug Technology!

Recently, in order to implement the policy spirit of the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Shenzhen in Building a Pilot Demonstration Zone of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" and the "Implementation Plan of Shenzhen on Further Accelerating the Development of Strategic Emerging Industries" (Shen Fu [2018] No. 84), and in close alignment with the "Shenzhen Guidance on Promoting the Cluster Development of the Biopharmaceutical Industry" and related supporting documents (Shen Fu Ban [2020] No. 2), to accelerate the development of the biopharmaceutical industry in our city and strive to build a domestically leading and internationally first-class biopharmaceutical industry development hub, the Shenzhen Development and Reform Commission researched and drafted the "Several Measures of Shenzhen on Promoting the Cluster Development of the Biopharmaceutical Industry (Draft for Comments)."

The Measures emphasize that for core technologies such as gene therapy drugs and cell therapy drugs, support will be given to enterprises to jointly tackle "stranglehold" technologies with universities and research institutes, with funding of up to RMB 300 million.

Highlights of the Measures worth noting:

The overall requirement of the Measures is to focus support on innovative drugs and biotechnologies, around directions such as ... cell therapy drugs, gene therapy drugs, novel vaccines ... and personalized therapy technologies.

Strengthening the capacity of industrial infrastructure construction

Financial subsidies will be provided to those undertaking national-level major technological breakthroughs and scientific translation tasks, and to those securing the establishment of national major science and technology infrastructure.

Building and upgrading provincial- and municipal-level major industry service platforms

04

Deploying municipal-level major technology breakthrough programs

Focusing on breakthroughs in core technologies such as new-target chemical drugs, antibody drugs, gene therapy drugs, cell therapy drugs, peptide drugs and enzyme engineering, and AI drug R&D chips, using "horse race" and "open challenge" mechanisms to support enterprises in jointly tackling "stranglehold" technologies with universities and research institutes, funding will be provided at 40% of the total project investment, up to a maximum of RMB 300 million.

05

Supporting the translation of drug R&D outcomes

06

Improving the clinical research support platform system

07

Enhancing industry-medicine integration innovation capability

Encouraging medical institutions to jointly conduct clinical application research with enterprises and R&D institutions

08

Advancing the digital, intelligent, and green transformation of manufacturing