With 56 drug varieties and a procurement scale of tens of billions of yuan involving 184 pharmaceutical companies, the highly anticipated third round of national centralized drug procurement recently concluded with the opening of bids. “Our newly approved products—cefdinir capsules and prucalopride succinate tablets—secured first-place wins in this round of centralized procurement, setting a strong precedent for establishing nationwide brand recognition. Currently, our oral dosage-form production facility is operating at full capacity, enabling rapid market penetration across the country.” Speaking about fostering smooth dual circulation, Su Xuejun, Chairman of Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., hit the nail on the head: innovation empowers us with the confidence and strength to successfully achieve both domestic and international dual circulation.
In the face of a rapidly evolving pharmaceutical market environment, Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical, as the nation’s largest single-site manufacturer of injectable formulations, has deepened supply-side structural reform and adopted a “four-wheel-drive synergy” approach encompassing innovative drugs, generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and pharmaceutical packaging materials. This strategy has enabled the company to shift from a singular competitive advantage to diversified growth, leveraging innovation to facilitate its participation in both domestic and international dual circulation and achieve high-quality development. As a result, the company is thriving and brimming with vitality.
Innovation is the very foundation for ensuring the smooth functioning of the dual circulation. “Against the backdrop of a new round of industrial transformation and profound, complex changes in both the domestic and international environments, there is now a greater need than ever to strengthen the impetus for innovation, accelerate the research, development, and commercialization of new products, build an efficient new-product supply system, and enhance the contribution of new products—so that high-quality scientific and technological innovation can effectively underpin and lead enterprises’ high-quality development. This is the top priority for realizing the dual circulation.”
“We have continuously increased our investment in research and development, establishing a coordinated working framework that advances innovative drug discovery, the development of high-end generic drugs, and the evaluation of generic drug quality and therapeutic equivalence, thereby strengthening the core drivers of our corporate transformation and upgrading. After years of painstaking accumulation, we have built comprehensive capabilities to pursue innovative drug research. Currently, we are accelerating the strategic deployment of our product pipeline in chemical small-molecule drugs, novel drug-delivery systems, and generic pharmaceuticals, while also making significant progress in disruptive innovation, breakthrough therapeutic agents, and the discovery of landmark new targets for major diseases. On November 6, NP-01 tablets—a Class 1 new drug indicated for the treatment of advanced gastric, lung, and liver cancers—received clinical trial approval from the National Medical Products Administration, marking the dawn of a new era in Shisi Pharmaceutical’s innovative drug research.”
“When it comes to the achievements of innovation, Su Xuejun lists them one by one: ‘These high-quality ‘ammunition’ are the winning formula for our dual-circulation strategy.’”
“This year, Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical has launched nearly 180 chemical-drug research projects, including five Class 1 new drugs spanning therapeutic areas such as oncology, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders, neurological conditions, cardiovascular diseases, and anti-infectives. To date, 72 R&D projects have been submitted for approval, covering Class 1 new drugs, Chemical Drug Category 3, Chemical Drug Category 4, and products undergoing bioequivalence evaluation. Fluconazole Tablets, Doxofylline Injection, Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection, Cefdinir Capsules, and Prucalopride Succinate Tablets have successively passed the National Generic Drug Bioequivalence Evaluation. In the near future, we expect to receive marketing approval for a number of blockbuster new products as well as “new-look” versions of established products that have undergone bioequivalence evaluation and achieved quality improvements.”
“While innovating our product portfolio, we have also reformed our marketing mechanisms to align with the national volume-based procurement policy and evolving overseas market dynamics. Within the domestic circulation, we have strategically positioned a number of high-potential, high-tech new and blockbuster products, including rosuvastatin calcium tablets and arbidol hydrochloride capsules. Through robust quality and cost management, we have further amplified the market-empowering advantages of innovation. To date, we have achieved annual sales exceeding RMB 100 million in 13 provinces domestically, and our products are now sold in 90 countries overseas.”
“While deepening our presence in the North China market, we are making substantial efforts to develop markets in Central, East, and South China as well as the western provinces, continuously expanding the market coverage and share of our therapeutic products. New specialty products such as sodium bicarbonate, tinidazole, sodium acetate Ringer’s solution, and peritoneal dialysis solutions have achieved rapid growth. In response to the heightened demand during the autumn and winter flu season, we are also prioritizing the development and promotion of antiviral and antibacterial drugs—namely abidor hydrochloride capsules and moxifloxacin hydrochloride infusion—in end-user markets, thereby accelerating the cultivation of key products with annual sales exceeding RMB 100 million.”
Only a broader market can offer greater room for development. While strengthening its presence in the domestic market, Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical has been steadily expanding into overseas markets. “We are committed to having our high-quality products tested on the global stage. We have adopted a dual-track approach: our international trade operations have now spanned 20 years, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period we completed more than 20 international quality audits and certifications, registered nearly 200 product specifications and varieties, and achieved sales in 90 countries.”
“Our development and strategic positioning in overseas markets have never ceased. Even since the onset of the global pandemic this year, we have gone to great lengths to overcome numerous challenges, ensured timely fulfillment of contracts, and thereby earned the trust of our customers. As a result, our foreign-trade sales orders have not declined but instead increased, with sales consistently posting double-digit growth.”
“We must seize opportunities amid crises and create new prospects amid changing circumstances. The ambitious goals set forth at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee have charted the course and outlined the blueprint for the development of China’s pharmaceutical industry. We will firmly grasp the overarching trend of industrial transformation, proactively explore new ideas, pathways, and initiatives that are tailored to our unique characteristics and foster mutual reinforcement between the domestic and international dual circulation models, maintain unwavering confidence, persevere through all obstacles, accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, address weaknesses and strengthen areas of weakness, promote innovation across a diversified industrial chain encompassing finished dosage forms, active pharmaceutical ingredients, pharmaceutical packaging materials, and more, expedite the shift from old to new growth drivers, and ensure that we manage our own affairs effectively. By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we aim to rank among the top 30 players in China’s pharmaceutical industry.” Speaking about the company’s future development, Su Xuejun expressed full confidence.