Pharma MNCs boost local ties

Biotech firms, drug distributors, tech startups among partners in China

Multinational corporations in the pharmaceutical industry are stepping up cooperation with local partners like biotech firms and drug distributors to better tap growth potential in China.

During the sixth China International Import Expo held in Shanghai in early November, German biopharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim announced a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese high-tech company ChromX Health, to jointly push forward research on interstitial lung diseases, and search for innovative early diagnosis and intervention solutions.

Interstitial lung diseases are a large group of disorders that can cause progressive scarring of lung tissue if not treated on time and effectively, resulting in difficulty breathing or even death.