On June 21st, led by Dr. Song Ruilin, Executive President of China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association (PhIRDA), PhIRDA Delegation visited innovative and R&D pharmaceutical institutions and enterprises in the Netherlands, including Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP), Mimetas Com., Ltd., Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), PharmaFit Com., Ltd., Center for Human Drug Research (CHDR) and so on.

In the morning, Mr. Paul Vulto, CEO and Co-founder of Mimetas welcomed  PhIRDA Delegation and made introduction of Mimetas. As one of the most blooming innovative bio-science companies in the Netherlands, Mimetas developed an organ chip for determining safety and efficiency of clinical drugs, among which OrganoPlate, the star product, could be applied in the 3D neurons culture, membrane-free co-culture, and kidney tubules and vessels culture. It is available to validate experiments, and to show drug effects upon human organs, providing novel solutions for early-stage clinical trials. At current stage, Mimetas has cooperated with many world top-20 pharmaceutical companies, ranging itself in a leading position by its large-scale organ chip sale and model technology transfer. The two sides also made an in-depth discussion on the organ chip technology and technological features, business plans, market vision, potential cooperation of Mimetas’s Organoplate.

Dr. Song gave highly praise to Mimetas’s products and technologies, pointing out that organ chip could offer new picture for early-stage drug clinical trials. If the technology steps into China’s market, Mimetas will find more partners and considerable benefits. Dr. Song also introduced Pharmaceutical Industrial Development Base in Greater Bay Area in Shenzhen, China, and invited Mimetas to participate in the 2019 China BioMed Innovation and Investment Conference (2019 CBIIC) on September 21-23 in Suzhou, China, to present their organ chip technology, helping Mimetas to open Chinese market and seek more business partners.  

Meeting with Mimetas 

Then PhIRDA Delegation held talks with Innovation Quarter. Ms. Sun Xiaoling, Senior Account Manager Asia of Innovation Quarter, Mr. Samuel Struijker Boudier, Business Analyst Foreign Investments of Innovations Quarter, and Mr. Sasja Heijman, Account Manager of Life Sciences & Health made brief introduction about Innovation Quarter and Leiden Bio Science Park respectively. Innovation Quarter is a governmental institution directly under the jurisdiction of South Holland Province, with close collaborative relations with both nearby cities including Rotterdam, Hague, Leiden, Delft etc., and prestigious colleges in the Netherlands. Innovation Quarter is committed to promoting innovation by establishing a communicative platform where the foreign innovative companies could enter Dutch market and Dutch companies could go out to boost overseas business. Leiden Bio Science Park is a top-5 bio-science industrial park in Europe, adjoining Leiden University, where concentrates 214 dedicated global pharmaceutical institutions, including pharmaceutical related companies, medical organization, research institutions, medical colleges, and other medical related organizations. It is a place attracting many international pharmaceutical companies to settle their laboratories here including HIV, cancer and brain disease researches.

Meeting with Innovation Quarter

In the afternoon, PhIRDA Delegation visited Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and held talks with LUMC representatives. Dr. Frans van Nieuwpoort, Consultant of European Project Funding and Research of LUMC, introduced the center. Since its establishment in 1575, Leiden University has developed itself into a world top medical center, taking high-level scientific research, education, and diagnosis and treatment for patient in aggregate, and covering an extensive range of research from fundamental research to clinical application. Stressing “Science is the spring of medical innovation”, LUMC has always been maintaining a close relation with Leiden University and Leiden Bio Science Park, greatly promoted medical education and training for healthcare providers in the Netherlands, and made breakthroughs in the research of cancer, regenerative medicine, demographic hygiene and so forth. Resting on the “medical delta region” consisting of Leiden, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, LUMC could take unique advantages to conduct medical researches and commercialization. Then Mr. Pang Baoxu, Deputy Professor of LUMC made introduction of fundamental research in LUMC.

Dr. Song highly appreciated the extensive research field of LUMC firstly, and wish LUMC could establish cooperation with PhIRDA’s members, enterprises and research institutions. He said facing the rapid development of China’s pharmaceutical innovation, there’s large demand in the field of fundamental research and commercialization of research finding. LUMC’s unique advantages and rich experience could be drawn by Chinese drug and clinical R&D institutions.

Meeting with Leiden University Medical Center 

PhIRDA Delegation paid a visit to PharmaFit on the afternoon, warmly welcomed by Dr. Ria Müller-Sarwin, Co-founder of PharmaFit, and Mr. Müller-Sarwin, Financial Counselor of PharmaFit. Mr. Müller-Sarwin introduced the mechanism of review and approval of listed drugs in Europe and held an in-depth discussion with PhIRDA Delegation on relevant issues including local and EU review and approval system, approval procedures and so on.

Meeting with PharmaFit

Then, PhIRDA Delegation visited Center for Human Drug Research (CHDR). Dr. Adam Cohen, Director of Innovation Service of CHDR, gave a warm welcome to PhIRDA Delegation and made a brief introduction. CHDR focuses on the cutting-edge early-stage clinical drug research and innovative approach to determine drug efficiency. With close cooperation with Amsterdam University, Leiden University Medical Center, and other scientific institutes, CHDR has boasted the most innovative technologies and methods, state-of-the-art facilities, as well as talented and dedicated researchers, which enables CHDR to offer a one-stop service from designing experiments to analyzing data, to maximize clients’ chance of success. Moreover, CHDR gives priority to the comfort and safety of subjects over everything, by adopting a patient-oriented design for waiting and monitoring areas to offer a cozy and relaxed environment for experiments and subjects. The two sides made lively discussion about medical ethics, expert consulting, technology transfer, future cooperation and so on.

Then Dr. Adam Cohen gave a guided tour and invited PhIRDA Delegation to participate in CHDR’s routine social reception, and representatives made further communication about clinical research and drug R&D with experts.

Meeting with Center for Human Drug Research 

The visit for pharmaceutical innovative institutes and enterprises in Leiden area provides a great opportunity for PhIRDA Delegation to learn further information about the climate for drug R&D, policy, supervision, review and approval system in the Netherlands, and to seek potential business partners. During the meetings, representatives expressed opinions on how to enhance the cooperation on pharmaceutical development and innovation between the two countries, and shared personal experience on project development and clinical trial research, facilitating further bilateral cooperation in pharmaceutical innovation.

Joseph Tam, Chairman of Pangenia Holdings Limited, Piotr Igor Blaszczyk, CEO of Fosun Pharmaceutical AG, Chen Xue, Executive Director Assistant of Fosun Pharmaceutical AG, Sammy Jiang, Vice President of Luye Pharma Group, Jiang Xiangren, Managing Partner of TF Capital, Jin Yu, Deputy-General Manager of Gem Flower Healthcare Investment Holding Co., Ltd., Zheng Qiang, Executive Deputy President of New Drug Research Institute of Chengdu Kanghong Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Gu Hongmei, President Assistant of Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Lu Xiaoti, Deputy Secretary-General of PhIRDA, and Li Gen, Project Assistant of International Affairs attended the meetings.