Suzhou, March 1, 2023 – Tarlead Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. ("Tarlead Biologics") held its grand opening ceremony today at the Suzhou BioBay Industrial Park. Over sixty industry experts, investors, park leaders, and senior media representatives attended the event, collectively witnessing this significant milestone in Tarlead Biologics' development.
Tarlead Biologics is a subsidiary of the Taichu Group. The group positions itself as a provider of integrated preclinical and early clinical CRDMO (Contract Research, Development & Manufacturing Organization) solutions. It has already established business modules covering drug discovery (including antibodies), pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies, toxicology and safety evaluation, as well as advanced formulation development and production. From the perspective of various drug development stages, the formation of Tarlead Biologics' Antibody CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) capabilities fulfills a crucial strategic deployment by the Taichu Group to offer clients comprehensive one-stop services. The pipeline referral system and overall project management strategy between the group's business units not only provide clients with an excellent collaborative development experience but also serve as a valuable practice for deeper exploration of the CRO market.
Tarlead Biologics is an Antibody Drug CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) platform, dedicated to providing biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies with flexible, rapid, and high-quality delivery solutions that meet stringent standards. Its service portfolio includes: cell line development, process development, analytical method development and transfer, GMP drug substance manufacturing and aseptic fill/finish, clinical IND (Investigational New Drug) application support, and BLA (Biologics License Application) submission support.
Located within the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tarlead Biologics facility boasts over 8,000 square meters of process development and GMP manufacturing space. At full capacity, it is designed to deliver over 70 batches annually. Its production facilities and quality systems have been operating successfully for four years, supporting the submission of 5 IND applications in China, the US, and Australia, as well as late-stage process optimization and changes for multiple projects. The Tarlead team combines experienced technical personnel in process development, quality control, and production with talent possessing extensive multinational corporate management experience. This blend ensures the CDMO platform operates with greater planning and reliability compared to traditional "scientist-founded" models, providing optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness for client projects.
Dr. Jing Ma, Chairman of the Taichu Group, stated, "Today marks another celebratory occasion for the Taichu Group. After a year of meticulous design and construction, our business companies are being unveiled one after another. The completion of Tarlead Biologics' process development and manufacturing facilities signifies the preliminary achievement of our strategic goal to offer integrated preclinical and early clinical solutions. In the future, we will expand into areas like nucleic acid drug development to further optimize the Group's solutions and better serve our pharmaceutical industry clients. Currently, Taichu Bio has secured orders worth tens of millions, with production and delivery underway. Taichu Bio, which opened last month on the 27th, has already obtained orders exceeding 100 million yuan. Tarlead Biologics opens auspiciously today with nearly 100 million yuan in secured orders – truly remarkable results!"
On behalf of the BioBay Park, Mr. Yin Jianguo, Chairman and President of Suzhou Industrial Park Bio-Development Co., Ltd., extended warm congratulations to Tarlead Biologics. He remarked, "Professionals excel in their specialized fields. We are confident that Tarlead Biologics will shine brightly on the fertile ground of Suzhou BioBAY."
Dr. Xun Liu, CEO of the Taichu Group, elaborated on the Group's core values of "Advocate of Ethics and Integrity, Quest for Verity." He then added, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Tarlead Biologics, as travelers aiming far, will accompany the growth of our biopharmaceutical clients and collectively achieve great success!"
Representing the industry, Dr. Jian Liu, CEO of the BeiGene Biolake Innovation Center, commented, "Today we are delighted to witness the birth of another rising star in China's CDMO sector. Currently, a gap remains between China's biopharmaceutical industry and those in Western developed nations, most notably in the fragmentation of the industry, manifesting as a disconnect between upstream drug discovery and downstream manufacturing. This leads to longer development times and higher costs for innovative drugs. Overcoming these challenges requires collaboration among several major CDMO enterprises. Like the mythical roc spreading its wings across the vast sky, we have boundless opportunities to strive! BeiGene's Innovation Center platform focuses on drug R&D incubation services, forming an excellent upstream-downstream relationship with Tarlead Biologics. Together, we will support the development of China's antibody industry!"
Mr. Jeff Li, CEO of Tarlead Biologics, stated, "A robust service platform requires experienced talent, outstanding hardware facilities, cutting-edge technology, coupled with mature processes and management – this combination makes for excellence."
During the ceremony, Tarlead Biologics signed cooperation agreements with companies including Maximum Biotech, Youxiang Biotech, and Anlab.
After phases characterized by capital favoritism, rapid expansion, project launches, and capacity building, China's biopharmaceutical industry is currently undergoing a period of "eliminating bubbles." While challenging, this phase is accelerating industry specialization and focus. Biotech companies can now concentrate more on drug discovery and clinical efficacy, realizing value in their areas of expertise. Meanwhile, CMC process development and GMP manufacturing can be entrusted to service platforms. Leveraging their CMC and production capabilities, these platforms provide industry clients with lower-cost, higher-quality contract development and manufacturing services.
Looking at the international market, providers of contract development and manufacturing services are still predominantly multinational corporations or a select few top-tier Chinese CDMOs. However, as the quality and management of Chinese antibody CDMO companies gain recognition from global biotech and pharmaceutical firms, coupled with the cost advantages resulting from China's competitive manufacturing environment, the comprehensive entry of Chinese biopharmaceutical CDMOs into the global market is highly anticipated.
We believe that the official launch of Tarlead Biologics' antibody drug CDMO platform, combined with the Taichu Group's integrated service offerings, will significantly contribute to the rapid development of China's biopharmaceutical industry!
