As 2026 marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, the Government Work Report from the Two Sessions has, for the first time, designated biomedicine as an emerging pillar industry, calling for deeper integration of technological innovation with industrial innovation—a historic elevation of the sector's status within the national strategic framework.
On September 17, the 2026 Zhangjiang Pharma Valley Conference, part of the Shanghai International Biomedical Industry Week, opened at the Zhangjiang Science Hall. As a co-host, SH Pharma took an active part in this annual flagship event, engaging with global peers to explore innovation pathways and future opportunities. This year's conference was rebranded for the first time under the name "Zhangjiang Pharma Valley Conference," aiming to serve as a global bellwether for cutting-edge biomedical technology and a bridgehead for cross-border collaboration. As a major backbone enterprise in the pharmaceutical industry and the leading "chain anchor" of Shanghai's biomedical sector, SH Pharma is transitioning from a mere industry participant to an ecosystem builder, innovation leader, and internationalization driver. Through senior leadership engagement, dedicated session hosting, and multi-platform outreach, SH Pharma is weaving together research, clinical practice, industry, and capital to construct an open and collaborative innovation ecosystem, contributing its strength to the "Healthy China" initiative.
Global Event Upgraded to Build a Cross-Border Collaboration Hub
Since its inaugural edition in 2021, the Shanghai International Biomedical Industry Week has now reached its sixth year. This year's event underwent a major upgrade, debuting under the new name "Zhangjiang Pharma Valley Conference," resonating with the "Zhangjiang" brand to amplify its influence and market vitality. Under the theme "AI-Driven Innovation, Building a Global Health Community," the conference brought together core decision-makers across the entire biomedical value chain—from Nobel laureate scientists and global regulatory leaders to top industry players, domain experts, and leading investment institutions. Attendees gained direct access to the industry's highest echelons, allowing them to anticipate regulatory shifts and technological trends ahead of the curve.
For deal-making and matchmaking, the conference established a full-cycle matching loop encompassing project aggregation, targeted outreach, and two-way facilitation, with a dedicated 1v1 appointment lounge to enhance BD collaboration efficiency. Multi-track premium roadshows covered gene and cell therapy, medical devices, digital health, and innovative drugs, alongside special sessions dedicated to markets such as the UK, Ireland, and Australia. More critically, the conference structured five core pillars—innovation integration, clinical translation, capital empowerment, ecosystem services, and "three-medical" coordination—concentrating on the next generation of core biomedical opportunities. In essence, this event precisely targeted corporate internationalization needs, building a high-caliber global biomedical innovation matchmaking hub and helping Shanghai position itself as the "most friendly global city for innovative drugs and devices."
Deep Participation as Co-Host: Moving from 'Participant' to 'Ecosystem Builder'
As co-host of the conference, SH Pharma was deeply involved across multiple program segments. At the venue, Leng Weiqing, Chairman of Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Group (SIIC), attended the opening ceremony; Zhang Qian, President of SIIC, participated in the launch of the "Empowering the Future—BioShanghai Investment and Financing Ecosystem Co-Building" initiative; and Yang Qiuhua, Vice President of SIIC and Chairman of SH Pharma, alongside Shen Bo, Executive Director and President of SH Pharma, took part in the conference's series of activities.
SH Pharma's involvement extended far beyond its co-host title, reflecting its ecosystem organizing capacity and resource integration strength as the "chain anchor" enterprise of Shanghai's biomedical industry. Leveraging its integrated advantages across industry, commerce, research, and investment, SH Pharma has been harnessing the synergy of finance and industry, linking proprietary R&D platforms, incubation vehicles, and a full-coverage commercial system through a capital matrix. This has resulted in a closed-loop innovation ecosystem spanning the complete "0 to 1, 1 to 10, 10 to N" trajectory.
During the opening forum's international cooperation session, Yang Qiuhua delivered a keynote speech titled "Collaborative Innovation Ecosystem, Winning the Industry's Future Together." He noted that China's biomedical innovation efficiency continues to improve, with multinational pharma, leading domestic enterprises, biotech firms, clinical institutions, and research academies converging to form a differentiated and highly dynamic innovation ecosystem. He expressed confidence that world-class indigenous multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs) would emerge from China in the future. As a large-scale biomedical group and Shanghai's biomedical "chain anchor," SH Pharma continues to deepen industrial exchanges and collaboration with the industry and the world, sharing premium commercial, industrial, and capital resources. Looking ahead, SH Pharma will advance three major collaboration platforms—market-oriented innovation companies, agile innovation incubation platforms, and industrial innovation funds—to build an open innovation cooperation system from "source innovation to translation and incubation to capital empowerment." This will create the strategic leverage for an "ecosystem anchor," where innovation efficiency and industrial depth reinforce each other.
Leaders Tour Exhibition Booth; High-Impact Moments Showcase the 'Chain Anchor' Role
Notably, throughout the conference, SH Pharma's agenda was packed with standout moments. From thought-provoking sessions on AI to practical explorations of innovative payment ecosystems; from hard-hitting oncology immunology sessions to a global-perspective panel on going overseas, SH Pharma brought its "From Zhangjiang to the World" narrative into the conference's main arena.
At the AI-Driven Innovation session, Tian Zhenglong, Deputy Director of SH Pharma's Central Research Institute, argued that "AI for Science" is no longer a question of "whether to adopt" but a "must-do." He pointed out that AI's role varies across R&D stages—drug discovery places greater weight on "0 to 1" innovation, while once a candidate enters clinical development, efficiency gains, predictive capability, and risk control become increasingly important. Currently, SH Pharma's AI project management module has been deployed, covering more than 50 ongoing R&D projects. This includes the WeMol molecular intelligent computing software platform for large molecules, with locally deployed deep learning models for protein structure prediction; and for small molecules, a structure-based AI high-throughput cyclic peptide generation platform now in practical application. Additionally, the company has established a Data and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center to drive digital and intelligent transformation across the entire R&D, production, and marketing chain.
In the field of tumor immunology and innovative immunotherapy, Zhang Ao, Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Director of SH Pharma's Central Research Institute, and head of the National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, shared insights at multiple venues—including the tumor immunology session, the innovative immunotherapy session, and the global biomedical R&D technology leaders forum—on paradigm shifts in immunotherapy research and next-generation therapy development pathways. Zhang explained that immunotherapy has advanced to a third generation: the first generation relies primarily on immune checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1/PD-L1; the second generation expands therapeutic scope through strategies like bispecific antibodies; and the third generation focuses on activating and modulating innate immunity, now a major global frontier in oncology immunotherapy R&D. SH Pharma is actively positioning itself in this high-growth space through a rich pipeline matrix and robust platform support.
On the topic of innovative payment mechanisms, Tang Pengcheng, General Manager of Shanghai Pharma Holding Co., Ltd., turned his attention to the "last mile" of innovative drug accessibility—building an internationally collaborative new ecosystem for innovative drug payment. According to relevant data, as early as 2017, Shanghai Pharma Holding innovatively incubated Med-Trusted, a diversified pharmaceutical payment platform, to lower the threshold for patients to access innovative drugs and devices through innovative and multi-channel payment models, shortening the cycle from "market approval" to "patient availability." In terms of diversified payment, SH Pharma leverages Shanghai Pharma Cloud Health as a key vehicle, building a "in-hospital to out-of-hospital" linkage that integrates cold-chain delivery, prescription transfer, pharmaceutical care, follow-up management, and charitable drug donation into a complete service chain. This paves the "highway" of diversified payment and end-to-end services for innovative drugs, translating policy value and clinical value into tangible patient benefits.
At the going-global forum, Yan Jun, General Manager of SH Pharma's International Business Division, shared the company's overseas expansion strategy and practices. He noted that Chinese pharmaceutical exports are shifting from "product export" to "localized commercial capability building," requiring the establishment of three strategic pillars: local market access capabilities, product portfolio depth, and medical and commercial trust. Currently, through a synergistic "registration + channel + localization" model, SH Pharma has achieved phased progress in key markets including Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
Throughout the conference, SH Pharma's exhibition booth displayed its latest achievements across innovation reform, innovative drug R&D, TCM modernization, consumer health, business models, and innovative payment mechanisms. The company's pipeline totals 61 new drug candidates, of which 49 are innovative drugs. Among key products, its BCD-085 NDA for ankylosing spondylitis has been accepted for review, the Phase II clinical trial for B007 in myasthenia gravis has been completed, and Shenqi Sherong Pills have finished Phase III clinical data analysis—all generating significant industry attention.
Positioned within the global wave of biomedical innovation, SH Pharma is embracing its role as a "chain anchor," leveraging its integrated industry-commerce-research-investment advantages to unite government, industry, academia, research, and capital, accelerating the formation of an open and shared innovation ecosystem. Within this ecosystem, the critical pathways from innovative R&D to translational outcomes and industrial deployment are fully connected, premium global innovation resources are converging rapidly, and the industry's innovation capacity is steadily advancing. Rooted in Shanghai, radiating across China, and connected to the world, SH Pharma is joining forces across the industry to chart a new blueprint for the globalization of China's biomedical sector. As Chinese innovative drugs transition from "follower" to "parallel runner" and "leader," a global industrial concentric circle is taking shape—anchored at Zhangjiang and bound together by an open innovation ecosystem.
Disclaimer: The content contained herein is intended solely for biomedical industry exchange and conference information disclosure, constituting industry updates and not constituting drug advertising, efficacy claims, medical advice, investment recommendations, or return promises. Information regarding the company's operations and R&D progress should be based on officially disclosed announcements. The pipeline candidates, clinical data, and project developments referenced are interim R&D results; final outcomes are subject to approval by the National Medical Products Administration. Drugs are special commodities; prescription drugs must be purchased and used under a licensed physician's prescription. Do not self-medicate.
Source: 2026 Shanghai International Biomedical Industry Week