Upbeat about the Chinese market, Kyowa Kirin Group, the Japanese pharmaceutical company that develops innovative specialty drugs, plans to further increase its investments and introduce a broader range of medications targeting conditions related to hematology and oncology, nephrology and rare diseases in China, said a senior executive.

Eager to enhance its production and logistics strength in the country, the company put an expansion project in its Shanghai manufacturing base into operation last week, with around 100 million yuan ($13.67 million) of investment.

Lisa Li, general manager of Kyowa Kirin China, said that the expansion, which took 15 months to complete, encompasses a total construction area of 6,300 square meters, housing production areas, storage facilities and office spaces. It is primarily focused on expanding the production and increasing the storage capacity of newly introduced biopharmaceutical medicines.

"China market is an integral part of Kyowa Kirin's global expansion strategy. Through our unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality medicines and services, we have been able to benefit more patients across China," said Li.

She said that the expansion of the new production base is aimed at increasing the production of innovative biopharmaceuticals that have already been approved overseas but have just received approval in China or are about to be approved.

Supported by the expanded facility, Kyowa Kirin's production capacity will be doubled in Shanghai. Its storage areas are designed for the storage and distribution of semi-finished and finished products.

Moreover, the new warehouse will implement a fully automated three-dimensional storage system, with a total capacity of 2,520 storage locations, including 840 cold storage spaces.

"An intelligent system has also been introduced to enhance operational efficiency and space utilization, thereby significantly elevating the level of intelligent management within the company," said Li. "The associated distributed photovoltaic project is now connected to the grid and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 300 metric tons annually."

To further contribute to the Healthy China 2030 initiative, a national guideline aimed at promoting overall health, she said Kyowa Kirin will accelerate the introduction of innovative drugs. The company to date has successfully launched over 10 innovative drugs in China, spanning areas such as hematology and oncology, nephrology and rare diseases.

China has been stepping up efforts to improve its business environment for drug innovation. The Ministry of Commerce held a round-table, inviting foreign pharmaceutical companies that operate in China to share their operational status, problems and concerns in early July.