STA Pharmaceuticals to build new R&D centre in Shanghai

STA Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec) has signed an investment agreement with the government of Shanghai, Jinshan District to build a new R&D centre, aimed at strengthening the company’s pharma development and manufacturing platform.

This 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. 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.

Once completed, 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. Additionally, it will provide access to technology platforms such as flow chemistry, biocatalysis and high potency from laboratory to commercial scale.

“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 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,” revealed 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.”