On April 15th, the 2023 First Precision Immunotherapy for Cancer Summit (Anji) was held. Academicians, experts, renowned enterprises, investment institutions and other industry elites from all over the country gathered in Anji to focus on the theme of the life health industry, exchange and share innovative technologies, and discuss the development of the industry.
Professor Pei Gang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Developing Countries, former president of Tongji University, and convener of the expert group of the "Stem Cell Research" national major scientific research project, attended and delivered a speech. Professor Ji Weizhi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences, an expert of the National Stem Cell Research Guidance and Coordination Committee, and the chief scientist of the 937 project, delivered a speech. Professor Han Weidong, the director of the Biomedical Therapy Department of the PLA General Hospital and the chairperson of the Biomedical Therapy Professional Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Society, and Professor Wang Ping, the vice president of the School of Medicine at Tongji University, among others, presented thematic reports and shared their research achievements in tumor precise immunotherapy. Pei Gang has been engaged in molecular cell biology and signal transduction research for a long time and has twice won the National Natural Science Award. In 2010, he was awarded the "Chen Jiacong Life Science Award", and in 2011, he was awarded the "Tan Jiazhen Life Science Achievement Award". Ji Weizhi mainly conducts research in primate biology and reproductive and developmental biology and has received the "2015 China Cell Biology Society Lifetime Contribution Award" and the "2019 Hui Liang Hui Fund Science and Technology Progress Award - Life Science Award". Han Weidong mainly conducts clinical research on tumor treatment resistance mechanisms and tumor immunotherapy and has successively undertaken 1 major project of the Ministry of Science and Technology, 2 973 projects, 3 863 projects, and 1 major project and 2 key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation. In the peak dialogue session, experts, investment institutions, and representatives of entrepreneurs engaged in a peak dialogue on the development trends and industrialization of tumor precise immunotherapy.
At the meeting, the construction of the Zhejiang - Anji Tumor Immunology Innovation Research Institute was also initiated. This institute is jointly created by the Development Zone and Novatim., focusing on applied research and technology transfer in the field of tumor immunology. It is expected to be completed and put into use in 2025. The research achievements of the institute will help enhance the innovation capabilities of the Anji biomedicine sector and promote industrial agglomeration and development.
The life health industry is the top priority industry that Anji is focusing on developing during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. In recent years, the development zone has set its sights on the "biomedicine and medical devices" characteristic industrial cluster direction, concentrating on innovative biomedicine and third-category medical devices, which are key areas of innovative high-value medical devices. It has focused on developing innovative projects and industries in emerging fields such as immunotherapy, gene therapy, and synthetic biology, and is striving to build a "North Zhejiang Life Health" industrial highland. The vaccine (immunization) industrial cluster of the development zone has been included in the second batch of provincial "new star" industrial cluster cultivation list, and the biomedicine and medical devices industrial cluster (biological drugs) has been included in the first batch of provincial "Zhejiang Manufacturing" characteristic industrial cluster core area and collaborative area establishment list.
Promoting industry through events and facilitating industry through events is an important measure for the development zone to continuously build its industrial brand and expand its leading industries. By holding various summits, forums and competitions, the development zone has established a brand in the academic and industrial circles as well as in the field of investment and financing in the life health industry, attracting more attention from talents, projects and capital. Since 2022, the zone has cumulatively attracted and implemented 28 high-end life health industry projects, with a total investment of 14 billion yuan. Among them, 14 projects have an investment of over 300 million yuan, 4 projects have an investment of over 10 billion yuan, and 2 projects are quasi-unicorn companies. The estimated peak output value can reach 40 billion yuan. Within three years, it is expected to add 100 biopharmaceutical and medical device enterprises and more than 10 IPO-listed biopharmaceutical and medical device enterprises.
Experts and scholars are very optimistic about the prospects of Anji's development of the life health industry. "Without universal health, there can be no comprehensive prosperity. The development of the health industry is an important direction for future development. Anji holding such an event will play a significant role in promoting the further development of the life health industry." Zhang Yi, the director of the Center for Biological Cell Therapy of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, said. In his opinion, the key to developing the life health industry is still talent. "Anji should lay out the talent chain around the industrial chain, formulate and implement talent policies, and better promote the attraction, cultivation, retention and utilization of talents."
Among the attendees, Dr. Wang Zhengyuan, who has extensive research experience, is a high-level talent newly introduced by Anji. He recently joined Biomed Union. "The Anji government attaches great importance to the development of the biomedicine and medical device industries. This is very consistent with my professional background. For me, this is a very good platform," he said. In the future, he will carry out scientific research innovation in Anji, striving to apply related genetic testing and molecular diagnostic technologies to clinical treatment, drug development, and clinical laboratory diagnosis services.
"Developing the life health industry, Anji enjoys geographical advantages and a solid industrial foundation. Currently, we are making efforts in multiple aspects such as project attraction and implementation, talents, and policies to further promote the concentration of the industry." A relevant official from the development zone stated. In the future, they will strengthen cooperation and communication with the participating platforms and enterprises, accelerate the transformation of activity outcomes, and enable more high-quality projects to be settled in Anji.
