Adventures in China: Part 2 - Interphex China Day One

May 12, 2008
Well, Reed Sinopharma definitely pulled out all the stops for the 60th API China Show which recently paired with Interphex China to create one exhibition for the Chinese medical industry. Held at the Dalian World Expo Center in the coastal city, Dalian, Interphex China attracted 30,000 professional visitors and 1,200 exhibitors. The opening ceremonies this morning included official welcome ribbon cutting by members of the Dalian Municipal Government, China Chemical Pharma Association, China Medical Industrial and the Chinese Pharmaceutical Packaging Association and a confetti display and ticker tape parade that could rival New Years Eve in Times Square. One of the first things I noticed when I initially walked into the conference halls was Subway China and McDonalds. Who knew you could get a $5 foot-long overseas as well. And, I figured out why it seems China does not have a problem with obesity...they serve 'Corn Cups' with their extra value meals instead of french fries. I somehow don't think that would fly in the states. Something about a cup of corn does not scream 'happy meal' to me, but who knows? I saw a few familiar companies immediately in the great hall such as Particle Measuring Systems, Pall Life Sciences, and Honeywell which made me feel like I never left Interphex Philadelphia. I had an interview with Pall Life Sciences (China) who recently unveiled a new filtration validation center in Beijing to support the emerging biopharmaceutical industry which is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy here in China. Kevin Liu, Vice President of Pall Life Science (China) says that "Currently only 5% of Pall's $2.5 billion global business is done in China, and we must look for new quality control products, invest in more R&D and continue to build manufacturing and validation labs to further expand our presence here in China." While some American companies are looking to expand further in China, some Chinese companies such as Bijing Tilani Process Technology are looking to get their foot into America's door through ensuring complete FDA and ISO9001 quality compliance. The Tilani group is a large Chinese manufacturer of filters, cryogenic units and dryers developed from the German Nutsche technology. "We, like a lot of Chinese pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers, are looking to penetrate the U.S. market, but it is hard. What we are doing is trying to be FDA compliant and meet all American standards so our low cost products are more appealing," said Tilani Director, Jack Wang. The Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Group had a similar sentiment. They are a market leader in China for sterilization and packaging equipment and work very closely with Italy and Germany, but are still looking to expand further into America. They recently partnered with GE in a technology share program, but they and their 11 Chinese subsidiaries want more business in the American market. Liu Jie, Vice General Manager of Shandong Xinhua, added "We export our products to Korea, Russia, and the U.S. We see a trend in specialized products, everyone wants something different now for their manufacturing. We are trying to be as innovative as we can so we can keep up with the industry and where it is headed. Custom, custom, custom, everyone is different, and needs individualized attention." My laptop is running out of juice, better get to bed...the Chinese herbology doctor we visited on the show floor ran a wand over my hand and gave me a diagnosis of sleep deprivation...he was dead-on...jet lag is bad news. More later! MV
Well, Reed Sinopharma definitely pulled out all the stops for the 60th API China Show which recently paired with Interphex China to create one exhibition for the Chinese medical industry. Held at the Dalian World Expo Center in the coastal city, Dalian, Interphex China attracted 30,000 professional visitors and 1,200 exhibitors. The opening ceremonies this morning included official welcome ribbon cutting by members of the Dalian Municipal Government, China Chemical Pharma Association, China Medical Industrial and the Chinese Pharmaceutical Packaging Association and a confetti display and ticker tape parade that could rival New Years Eve in Times Square. One of the first things I noticed when I initially walked into the conference halls was Subway China and McDonalds. Who knew you could get a $5 foot-long overseas as well. And, I figured out why it seems China does not have a problem with obesity...they serve 'Corn Cups' with their extra value meals instead of french fries. I somehow don't think that would fly in the states. Something about a cup of corn does not scream 'happy meal' to me, but who knows? I saw a few familiar companies immediately in the great hall such as Particle Measuring Systems, Pall Life Sciences, and Honeywell which made me feel like I never left Interphex Philadelphia. I had an interview with Pall Life Sciences (China) who recently unveiled a new filtration validation center in Beijing to support the emerging biopharmaceutical industry which is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy here in China. Kevin Liu, Vice President of Pall Life Science (China) says that "Currently only 5% of Pall's $2.5 billion global business is done in China, and we must look for new quality control products, invest in more R&D and continue to build manufacturing and validation labs to further expand our presence here in China." While some American companies are looking to expand further in China, some Chinese companies such as Bijing Tilani Process Technology are looking to get their foot into America's door through ensuring complete FDA and ISO9001 quality compliance. The Tilani group is a large Chinese manufacturer of filters, cryogenic units and dryers developed from the German Nutsche technology. "We, like a lot of Chinese pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers, are looking to penetrate the U.S. market, but it is hard. What we are doing is trying to be FDA compliant and meet all American standards so our low cost products are more appealing," said Tilani Director, Jack Wang. The Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Group had a similar sentiment. They are a market leader in China for sterilization and packaging equipment and work very closely with Italy and Germany, but are still looking to expand further into America. They recently partnered with GE in a technology share program, but they and their 11 Chinese subsidiaries want more business in the American market. Liu Jie, Vice General Manager of Shandong Xinhua, added "We export our products to Korea, Russia, and the U.S. We see a trend in specialized products, everyone wants something different now for their manufacturing. We are trying to be as innovative as we can so we can keep up with the industry and where it is headed. Custom, custom, custom, everyone is different, and needs individualized attention." My laptop is running out of juice, better get to bed...the Chinese herbology doctor we visited on the show floor ran a wand over my hand and gave me a diagnosis of sleep deprivation...he was dead-on...jet lag is bad news. More later! MV
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