Jinan Zhuocheng Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.

In early October 2026, CPHI Worldwide was held in Milan, Italy. Chengdu Better Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Better Pharma”), headquartered in Chengdu High-Tech Zone, participated in the exhibition alongside its subsidiary Sichuan Ren’an Pharmaceutical, showcasing products across its pharmaceutical formulation and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) portfolios.

For Chinese pharmaceutical companies, international exhibitions are more than opportunities to showcase products and establish customer relationships. They also provide a platform for understanding global market demand and engaging with international industry partners. As global pharmaceutical supply chains continue to evolve, international competitiveness is increasingly determined not only by individual products, but also by a company’s ability to coordinate R&D, manufacturing, quality management, regulatory compliance, and market services.

According to People’s Daily, Chengdu’s pharmaceutical and healthcare industry exceeded RMB 400 billion in scale in 2025, ranking fourth nationally. Over the preceding three years, the cumulative value of Chengdu’s innovative drug licensing and international development deals reached approximately USD 26 billion. Chengdu High-Tech Zone is home to more than 3,900 pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, with over 140 Category 1 innovative drugs in clinical development—approximately half of the city’s total.

Against this industrial backdrop, Better Pharma’s international development illustrates one approach to building integrated global operations: establishing a foundation in APIs, extending into finished formulations and innovative drug development, and leveraging local industrial resources to support technology transfer and international market expansion.

1. Products: From API Exports to Integrated API and Formulation Strategies

In international pharmaceutical markets, market access depends on more than price and demand. Manufacturing quality systems, regulatory requirements, and registration capabilities are also critical.

According to He Yong, General Manager of Better Pharma’s API Business Division, the company’s international expansion began with the API business of its subsidiary, Sichuan Ren’an Pharmaceutical. In 2018, the company initiated its API internationalization program and continued to upgrade its quality systems and pursue international certifications. Subsequently, several products obtained relevant GMP certifications in Europe, Japan, and South Korea. The company also reported passing a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection with a “zero-observation” outcome.

These certification and inspection experiences have helped establish a foundation for further international expansion. He also noted that Japanese regulatory inspections can involve highly precise particle-counting requirements, including separate assessments of particles smaller than 10 micrometers and 25 micrometers. Such requirements illustrate the importance of detailed process controls, analytical methods, and quality management in regulated markets.

According to the company, its ampicillin sodium API has achieved a leading sales position in Japan, and its API products are currently sold in more than 20 countries and regions. These market experiences can help the company build capabilities in international customer service, quality management, and regulatory compliance.

Building on its API business, Better Pharma has increasingly pursued an integrated international strategy covering both APIs and finished pharmaceutical formulations. Its Chengdu Better Biotech and Hangzhou Better Biotech facilities, together with the third production area of Hainan Better Pharmaceutical, have been developed or positioned as internationally oriented formulation manufacturing bases. Other facilities are also aligning their operations with relevant international standards, including requirements for manufacturing, quality control, and regulatory compliance.

This development path illustrates how API exports can serve as an entry point for international expansion, rather than an end in themselves. As companies extend into finished formulations, they need to coordinate raw material supply, formulation manufacturing, quality systems, and market access more closely to strengthen their overall role in global pharmaceutical supply chains.

2. Production and R&D: Strengthening International Competitiveness Through Innovation and Industrial Collaboration

Beyond complex generics, innovative medicines represent another important direction for the international development of Chinese pharmaceutical companies.

He Yong stated that Better Pharma is pursuing differentiated competition in the complex generics market by drawing on its integrated industrial capabilities, international quality systems, and competitive product portfolio. In innovative drug development, the company considers global scientific and commercial trends from the project initiation stage, aiming to align R&D planning with international market requirements.

In recent years, Shanghai Hongcheng Pharmaceutical, a Better Pharma subsidiary focused on first-in-class (FIC) and best-in-class (BIC) innovative biologics, has advanced multiple projects through different stages of clinical development. These programs cover technology areas such as monoclonal antibodies, multispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Meanwhile, AcuRNA, which focuses on oligonucleotide therapeutics, and Sichuan Xinke Pharmaceutical, which specializes in radiopharmaceuticals and radionuclide-drug conjugates (RDCs), have also obtained clinical trial authorization for multiple Category 1 innovative drug programs. According to the company, these pipelines are designed with global markets in mind from the outset, allowing international requirements to inform development and future commercialization planning.

Recently, Sichuan Ren’an Pharmaceutical completed construction of its first oligonucleotide API production line and brought the facility into operation. This represents an additional step in developing the company’s capabilities across the oligonucleotide drug value chain. For this category of medicine, coordination among R&D, API process development, quality control, and subsequent formulation development is essential to successful industrialization.

For pharmaceutical companies operating across multiple locations, however, industrialization involves more than building production lines. Efficiently connecting R&D teams, clinical resources, manufacturing facilities, and specialized services across different regions is also critical to translating research into commercial products.

Xinchuan Innovation and Technology Park, where Better Pharma is headquartered, provides a regional industrial environment for this type of collaboration. Located in the southern area of Chengdu High-Tech Zone, the park began development in 2012 and is an international cooperation initiative established through collaboration between Singapore and Sichuan. It covers a planned area of approximately 13.98 square kilometers.

Within the park, Phase I of the Frontier Medical Center works with Sichuan University and its affiliated West China hospitals to support the transfer and commercialization of clinical research outcomes. Phase II has brought in research platforms including Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory (Frontier Medical Center) and Peking University Chengdu Academy, supporting biomedical research and development. Phase III has a planned gross floor area of approximately 650,000 square meters. According to the information provided, construction had exceeded 90% completion, with completion expected by the end of 2026. The neighboring Biomedical Innovation and Incubation Park, also known as Phase II of Tianfu Life Science Park, covers more than 168 mu and has a gross floor area of approximately 294,000 square meters.

According to Chengdu High-Tech Zone’s industrial development framework, these facilities support a chain of activities ranging from basic research and proof of concept to technology transfer, pilot-scale development, and supporting services. For innovative medicines, the transition from laboratory research to stable commercial manufacturing involves process scale-up, quality consistency, manufacturing validation, and commercial readiness. A well-developed industrial ecosystem can help connect these stages and facilitate technology transfer.

3. Industrial Parks: Building a Service Network That Connects Companies to Global Markets

International expansion depends not only on a pharmaceutical company’s own R&D and manufacturing capabilities, but also on access to an open and well-developed industrial ecosystem.

According to data from Chengdu High-Tech Zone, Xinchuan Innovation and Technology Park had approximately 16,000 resident companies by the end of 2025. The park had developed more than 4.5 million square meters of industrial facilities, including the AI Innovation Center and Frontier Medical Center, and generated annual revenue exceeding RMB 120 billion in 2025. The Singapore Innovation Center within the park has also attracted organizations including Singtel and the Singapore–China Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology Exchange.

For pharmaceutical companies, international business involves much more than manufacturing products. International certification, cross-border compliance, market access, intellectual property protection, international legal services, and specialized talent are all important. When industrial parks bring relevant service providers together, companies may be able to access expertise more efficiently and improve coordination across international operations.

Xinchuan Innovation and Technology Park is also developing infrastructure to support international professionals and business activities. Its “15-minute international community” concept is complemented by Xinchuan Heart Park, covering approximately 870 mu, as well as plans for schools, neighborhood service centers, and other public facilities. These amenities can help improve the working and living environment for talent and support longer-term international cooperation.

In May 2025, Chengdu High-Tech Zone launched the “Wutong Plan” for its pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. According to the original information, the plan covers nine major categories, 47 directions, and 102 specific service areas spanning innovative R&D, regulatory approval and registration, manufacturing and technology transfer, and international product expansion. This approach reflects a broader effort to develop industrial services that support the full innovation and commercialization process, rather than focusing solely on manufacturing space.

Better Pharma’s development illustrates how multiple capabilities need to work together when a company expands from Chengdu into international markets. R&D supports product innovation; manufacturing and quality systems underpin reliable supply; regulatory compliance influences market access; and specialized services and industrial collaboration help sustain international operations.

Whether this model can be replicated more broadly will depend on both corporate capabilities and the completeness of the local ecosystem. Testing, pilot-scale facilities, regulatory support, talent, and cross-border services all contribute to the process. Gaps in any critical area can slow the transition from research and manufacturing to international commercialization.

Conclusion: Moving Beyond Product Exports Toward Integrated Global Operations

Better Pharma’s participation in CPHI Milan 2026 provides a useful case for examining the international development of Chinese pharmaceutical companies. Its approach encompasses API exports, formulation manufacturing, innovative drug R&D, oligonucleotide API production, and collaboration with the surrounding industrial ecosystem.

At the industry level, international competition is expanding beyond product pricing and manufacturing scale to encompass R&D capabilities, quality management, regulatory compliance, industrial collaboration, and global customer services.

International exhibitions can help companies connect with customers and understand market requirements. Building lasting international competitiveness, however, requires effective coordination across R&D, manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and commercialization. For industrial clusters, capabilities in testing, pilot-scale development, talent, and specialized services will also influence how efficiently companies move from exporting products to establishing integrated global operations.

Chengdu’s pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, which exceeded RMB 400 billion in scale in 2025, provides a substantial industrial foundation. Further strengthening local technology transfer and cross-border service capabilities will be important to enabling more Chinese pharmaceutical companies to move from product exports toward integrated international development.