The special team of China Association for Science and Technology to compile the Roadmap of Key Biomedical Technologies visited Shenzhen Cell Valley to carry out research work
On March 12, at the request of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Technical Association and Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, a delegation led by Professor Jiang Jianli, Deputy Director of the National Center for Translational Medicine at Air Force Medical University; Professor Chen Junhui, Director of the Innovation Center at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital's Interventional and Cellular Therapy Center and President of the Cell Medicine Branch of the China Food and Drug Promotion Association; Xu Yanwei, Director of the Office of the Cell Medicine Branch; and Li Dezhi, Senior Research Assistant at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital's Interventional and Cellular Therapy Center, visited Shenzhen Cell Valley to conduct research on developing key technology roadmaps for cell and gene therapy drugs. Our company warmly received them with a welcoming reception attended by Chairman and General Manager Professor Shi Yuanyuan, Chief Scientist Professor Wang Jianxun, Vice President Tang Xiaomeng, Administrative Department Director Wei Zheng, and Assistant to the Chairman Fu Yuchen. Currently, the global biopharmaceutical industry is undergoing rapid development and transformation. As a highly promising frontier field, cell and gene therapy drugs play a crucial role in driving China's pharmaceutical industry upgrade and enhancing its global competitiveness in biomedicine. To actively respond to national strategic needs, strengthen academic societies' capacity to serve national strategies, and promote China's high-level scientific self-reliance, CAST has established the "National Academic Societies Serving National Strategies Special Project". Under this initiative, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association successfully secured the task of compiling the "Biopharmaceutical Key Technology Roadmap" in December 2024. The roadmap development for cell and gene therapy drugs is led by Academician Chen Zhinan and Academician Wang Junzhi as chief advisors, with Professor Jiang Jianli and Professor Xu Miao responsible for implementation. The roadmap aims to provide clear guidance for the future development of cell and gene therapy drugs in China, and the relevant research results will be submitted to the central government and relevant ministries through the China Association for Science and Technology as an important basis for decision-making and policy making.
At the symposium, Professor Jiang Jianli first elaborated on the background, objectives, and significance of the "Biopharmaceutical Key Technology Roadmap" initiative. He emphasized that this roadmap development serves as a crucial national response to strategic priorities, aiming to systematically analyze global advancements in China's biopharmaceutical technologies to inform policy-making, industrial planning, and research directions. Subsequently, Professor Shi Yuanyuan presented Shenzhen Cell Valley's development journey, core team expertise, scientific achievements, and technological edge in cell therapy. The presentation highlighted breakthroughs in retroviral vector technology, showcasing the company's world-leading industrial production capabilities. With over 10,000 square meters of GMP-certified facilities, the facility achieves RVV production exceeding 1,000 doses per batch and CAR-T cell transduction efficiency surpassing 70% with stable expression. Shenzhen Cell Valley has cultivated a global talent pool and established a robust R&D platform, achieving significant milestones in retroviral vector engineering and clinical applications that have propelled China's cell therapy industry forward. During the panel discussion, both parties engaged in an in-depth exchange on cutting-edge issues in cellular and gene therapies. To address technical bottlenecks, both parties jointly analyzed critical challenges in current cell and gene therapy drug development, including efficient viral vector delivery, precision gene editing, and quality control of cell therapies. They proposed tailored insights to overcome these obstacles. Regarding clinical applications, experts agreed that while China has surpassed the United States in scale of cell therapy clinical trials—with over 50 hospitals conducting CAR-T trials—lack of payment mechanisms remains a core barrier to widespread adoption. Participants urged learning from pilot programs in Hainan and Henan provinces, advocating for Shenzhen to pioneer a "medical new technology" fee catalog to bridge the "technology-industry-payment" cycle. The research team also visited Shenzhen Cell Valley's R&D labs and production facilities, gaining firsthand understanding of corporate operations, quality control systems, and innovation platforms. This visit provided a clear insight into the company's R&D capabilities and production capacity in cell and gene therapy. The successful event not only strengthened collaboration between the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Shenzhen Cell Valley but also injected fresh momentum into developing China's key technology roadmap for cell and gene therapies. By pooling expertise and resources, this initiative is poised to fuel innovation in China's biopharmaceutical sector, propel the nation toward new heights in cell and gene therapy development, and support the goal of achieving high-level technological self-reliance.
