[Introduction] "Among the top ten anti-cancer drugs in the world in 2017, six are biological drugs. China's innovative biological drugs are relatively closer to the international advanced level."

The major national science and technology project of "Major New Drug Creation" was launched in 2008 and will be implemented from 2008 to 2020. This major project related to the national economy and people's livelihood is about to be completed. What are the results?

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"The special project for new drug creation has produced a number of major landmark results and achieved remarkable economic and social benefits." On July 31, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with the National Health Commission, held a press conference on the "Major New Drug Creation" major science and technology project in Beijing. Yang Zhe, deputy director of the Major Projects Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said.

Liu Dengfeng, executive deputy director of the New Drug Creation Special Implementation Management Office and commissioner of the Science and Education Department of the National Health Commission, said: "Since 2017, another 14 Class 1 new drugs have been approved, showing a blowout growth."
How many new drugs have been approved in my country since the special project was launched?

Since the launch of the special project for new drug creation, as of July this year, a total of 139 products have obtained new drug certificates, including 44 Class 1 new drugs, which is 8 times the number before the implementation of the special project. In response to the needs of major disease prevention and control, the special project for new drug creation has deployed the R&D chain around the industrial chain, and the R&D results of major products have been remarkable, exceeding the "13th Five-Year Plan" product R&D target.
New drugs are not only numerous in number, but also of very high quality. Taking anti-tumor drugs as an example, research related to PD-1 immunotherapy won the 2018 Nobel Prize. Immunotherapy activates the body's own immune system to fight tumor cells. It has a wide range of applications and few side effects. It is a revolutionary treatment.
"Among the top ten anti-tumor drugs in the world in 2017, six are biological drugs. my country's innovative biological drugs are relatively closer to the international advanced level." Academician Chen Kaixian, deputy chief engineer of new drug creation technology, introduced that since 2018, a total of three PD-1 inhibitors have been approved in my country, namely, toripalimab, sintilimab, and carrelizumab. "The launch of these PD-1 inhibitor drugs has pushed China into the era of immunotherapy."
"The new drug creation project is aimed at the forefront of foreign medicine." Shi Yuankai, deputy director of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said that since 2018, China has begun to approve PD-1 drugs for marketing. Within just six months after the first two foreign PD-1 drugs were approved for marketing in China, PD-1 drugs independently developed by Chinese companies, such as Junshi Biosciences' Toripalimab and Innovent Biologics' Sintilimab, were approved for marketing. "These drugs have brought new treatment options to cancer patients in my country. At present, there are some PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody drugs in clinical trials in my country, which are very worth looking forward to."
The development of innovative biological drugs usually takes a long time, and the road to market is long and arduous. my country's biopharmaceutical industry started relatively late. After 2008, a large number of overseas talents who had served in internationally renowned pharmaceutical companies returned to China to start businesses, which greatly promoted the internationalization of biopharmaceuticals.
In 2020, the new drug creation project will be completed soon, and new drug creation will also usher in new positioning and tasks. Academician Chen Kaixian said that in the future, we will strengthen the integration of multiple disciplines and multiple technical methods, actively connect with new breakthroughs in the forefront of science and technology, explore new directions for new drug research and industrial development, and ultimately contribute to meeting the people's demand for "available and affordable" drugs.

[Source: Instrument Information Network] Editor: Li Zhaokun