Wego Pharmaceuticals, a healthcare technology supplier based in China, will take on the responsibility of manufacturing the single-use products for partner GE Healthcare.
The first products are expected to be ready for the Chinese market by the end of November, with the portfolio offer expanding throughout 2019.
Olivier Loeillot, general manager of bioprocess at GE Healthcare Life Sciences, told us the collaboration will leverage China’s growing adoption of single-use technology.
”The single-use paradigm and the speed and efficiency they enable is aligned with China’s broader healthcare goals. This is demonstrated in how China continues to lead in the adoption of innovative single-use biomanufacturing solutions,” he explained.
In terms of its partnership with Wego, Loeillot confirmed that the two companies have signed a “long-term partnership” to provide single-use technology for all stages of the manufacturing process.
Asked whether this could see the collaboration expand its supply to outside of China, he suggested the current focus is on the domestic Chinese market but “there is always the potential to expand distribution to the greater Asia Pacific market.”
Meeting demand
Much of the demand for single-use technology is being driven by how quickly the Chinese biopharma and, concurrently, the bioprocessing market is growing.
Loeillot highlighted how the company’s move is driven by logistics: “Considering the rapid biopharma growth and strong healthcare reform ambitions that will help to increase the patient access to these new therapeutics, it is important for GE Healthcare to do business closer to the customers in China to ensure we can be a strong and reliable partner for the years to come”.
As a result, GE Healthcare has moved quickly expand its bioprocessing presence in China, such as with the announcement of a second FlexFactory manufacturing platform being built in Guangzhou.
The widespread adoption of single-use technology has led to the construction of the world’s largest single-use tech plant in the country, created by WuXi Biologics, which has fuelled the growth of companies supplying the equipment.