- China | 17 March 2018
Can you highlight the key milestones in the company’s history?
The company’s history has been marked by several significant milestones. When we listed on the SSE (Shanghai Stock Exchange), it provided us with a valuable opportunity to access capital. With the capital obtained, we embarked on a series of strategic acquisitions that formed a strong foundation for our future growth. In 2003, we co-founded Sinopharm, which has become China’s leading distributor of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, gaining global recognition. In 2009, while many Chinese pharmaceutical companies focused on generics, we prioritized innovation. Fosun Pharma established Shanghai Henlius Biotech, which has grown into a unicorn company, leading in biosimilars and innovative biologics, particularly monoclonal antibodies.
Can you highlight the strategic approach that Fosun Pharma is taking in its R&D activities?
Our R&D strategy revolves around addressing unmet medical needs in disease areas where there is currently no cure. We are particularly focused on areas such as oncology, autoimmune diseases, rare disorders, and degenerative diseases. Furthermore, we have developed expertise in biotechnology and intend to leverage advanced technology platforms such as monoclonal antibodies, immuno-oncology, stem cell therapy, and gene editing technology to tackle these areas of unmet needs.
Can you highlight the key markets where the company intends to grow and how you intend to expand?
In 2017, 18.25% of our revenue came from overseas business, experiencing a remarkable growth rate of over 57.88%. Through acquisitions, we plan to expand in both the US and Indian markets, which hold significant potential due to their large populations. Historically, our international focus has been on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), but moving forward, we aim to increase our presence in formulations, particularly in regulated markets. Additionally, Fosun Pharma is actively seeking opportunities to expand its innovative drugs overseas.
As a company listed on multiple public stock exchanges, what has been your experience navigating the capital markets, and how do you expect the investment environment to evolve?
The current China capital market is robust, with continuous improvements in the regulatory environment and good liquidity. The government’s emphasis on healthcare innovation through initiatives like Healthy China 2030 means that if a company demonstrates a strong commitment to innovation, accessing the capital market is not a challenge. In fact, Fosun Pharma is leveraging the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKES) and Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) to further expand our innovative business. China has shown a willingness to embrace risk, as evident from the HKES announcement allowing innovative companies to join the stock exchange. This reflects the country’s recognition of the importance of supporting innovative drug discovery activities.
Can you elaborate on the importance of social responsibility to Fosun Pharma and provide some examples of its many CSR activities?
Fosun Pharma places great importance on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and implements various initiatives to support patients not only in China but also globally. Within China, we provide support to dialysis patients in rural areas and have established a public welfare platform aimed at providing education, training, and software/hardware support to rural doctors. Additionally, we have actively participated in the fight against malaria, aligning with the World Health Organization’s objective to eradicate the disease by 2030. Through our efforts, we have supplied over 100 million vials of Artesun® (injectable Artesunate) to the African market, leading to an estimated 20 million patients being cured of severe malaria. However, as a pharmaceutical company, our primary social responsibility lies in innovation. There are numerous unmet medical needs, and we are dedicated to working diligently to solve these problems.
Where would you like to see Fosun Pharma in the next 3-5 years?
Considering China’s status as the country with the largest population, it is inevitable that our nation will become one of the biggest pharmaceutical markets, if not the largest, in the future. Over the next 10 years, we envision several Chinese companies growing to become top global players with recognizable names worldwide. As one of the leading companies in China, Fosun Pharma aspires to be among those prominent companies. We will achieve this vision by maintaining our focus on innovation and actively pursuing internationalization opportunities.