The Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, in conjunction with the Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, has unveiled the “Beijing Action Plan for Accelerating Collaborative Innovation in Medicine and Health (2024-2026)”. The plan is designed to cement Beijing’s position as a global hub for cell and gene therapy (CGT) innovation. The public has the opportunity to provide feedback on the document until 5 pm on October 15th.
Overall Objectives:
The action plan sets ambitious targets for the city by 2026, including the addition of over 15 clinical trial approvals and the filing for marketing approval of more than 5 innovative varieties. The initiative aims to cultivate over 20 cutting-edge technology enterprises in the CGT field, with at least 3 companies going public and the introduction of 1-2 multinational corporations. The plan envisions the establishment of a translation carrier platform and a common technology service platform to support the industry’s urgent needs, offering comprehensive services from technology R&D to inspection and testing for no fewer than 20 varieties. This will lay the groundwork for a globally influential CGT industry cluster.
Key Tasks:
The government is committed to supporting exploratory basic research in novel areas such as gene editing, off-target evaluation, RNA editing, and modification regulation. It will also back the discovery of new targets for pathogenic cells and the development of new strategies for universal allogeneic cell therapy and engineered cell modification. Applied basic research will focus on stem cell maintenance, directed differentiation regulation, scale expansion, and efficient differentiation, as well as new pathways and methods for manufacturing.
Key breakthroughs will target precise gene editing across various scales, from single base editing to large fragment DNA manipulation, non-liver targeted vector delivery, novel biomimetic vector delivery, and the establishment of efficient and safe new cell lines.
The government will actively promote the inclusion of novel CGTs in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) and expedite the hospital access and application of domestically produced innovative drugs and clinically urgent new drugs. It will also encourage medical institutions to adopt newly approved CGT medical service price items and foster collaboration between commercial insurance companies, medical institutions, and pharmaceutical companies to develop related insurance products.
To facilitate biopharmaceutical research and development, Beijing will implement a “white list” system for the import of necessary materials and update the customs clearance “white list” for materials required in the R&D process of cell and gene therapy varieties.- Flcube.com
