MSD strengthens commitment to Healthy China

Leading biopharmaceutical company MSD has reinforced its commitment to bringing medical innovations to China, emphasizing the country's importance to its global purpose of saving and improving lives.

"The Chinese market is significant for our company," said Anna Van Acker, senior vice-president of MSD and president of MSD in China. "The country has tremendous unmet medical needs, which is why it's so important to have close collaborations with our various stakeholders here to drive superior access and affordability for the people who need it most."

China's increasing aging population, which has led to a rise in chronic diseases and cancers, has expedited the demand for healthcare innovations.

Since 2012, MSD has brought more than 60 innovative products and indications to the Chinese market and plans to introduce another 40 over the next five years.

"We are acting with a sense of urgency to help address the unmet medical needs of the Chinese people by working relentlessly to ensure a continuous flow of innovative products from prevention to treatment," Van Acker said.

Cornerstone strategy

MSD's "Writing Our Future +"strategy is central to the company's efforts to become a trusted, leading partner in China's healthcare ecosystem.

The strategy aligns with the Healthy China initiative, introduced in 2016, in that both aim to improve public health nationwide. "Our commitment to China reflects how integral this market is to our global strategy and purpose to save and improve lives," Van Acker said.

In addition to introducing self-developed innovative products and indications to the Chinese market, MSD has been expanding collaborations with local Chinese companies to co-develop innovative medicines.

In October, MSD completed its acquisition of a bispecific antibody in development for B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases, from Curon Biopharmaceutical, a Shanghai-based company. MSD has also partnered with Kelun-Biotech since 2022 to co-develop investigational antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) to explore cancer treatment and augment MSD's oncology pipeline.

"Our local collaborations signal our commitment to China and to bringing early-stage Chinese innovations to global clinical trials to support global needs," Van Acker explained. "It's crucial to keep innovation moving forward and leverage China's strengths in medical research."

MSD has maintained a longstanding partnership with Zhifei Biologics for over a decade, working to increase HPV vaccination rates among women and girls in China with the vision of eliminating cervical cancer, a World Health Organization goal, and an important health initiative of China. As of June 2024, the company's HPV vaccines have already helped more than 50 million women in China prevent cervical cancer and HPV-related diseases.

CIIE moment

Also, MSD established a new legal entity, MSD (Hainan) Innovative Healthcare, in 2023 to leverage the favorable policies of Lecheng and Hainan Free Trade Port.

The subsidiary aims to expedite the introduction of cutting-edge vaccines and medicines to China and reach Chinese patients and consumers faster and better. "It's certainly a big step that will potentially provide the Chinese people with early access to our innovative products," Van Acker said.

In another example of delivering on its commitment to public health, last month, MSD reached a three-year partnership framework with the China Women's Development Foundation for pilot projects on disease education, vaccination, and early screening for cervical cancer in regions with limited healthcare resources.

This marks a new milestone in MSD's collaboration with the foundation, according to Van Acker, as the Shell Action program they jointly launched in 2013 has already reached more than 90 million women and their families, raising awareness of HPV-related cervical cancer and preventative measures.

MSD is showcasing its latest products and services during the seventh China International Import Expo, or CIIE, marking its sixth consecutive year of participation.

As the Pharma Committee President Unit for the second straight year, MSD is presenting its extensive portfolio in China, from prevention to treatment.

"The platform of the CIIE truly demonstrates China's commitment to opening-up, offering a chance to showcase not only our expertise, capabilities and portfolio, but, in a broader sense, how we plan to contribute to the healthcare ecosystem in China and collaborate with stakeholders to save and improve more lives here," Van Acker said.