Otsuka Shanghai Research Institute, a Chinese research arm of Japan's Otsuka Group, opened a new R&D center in Zhangjiang area, Pudong, Shanghai, on Oct 18.

The new center, covering around 10,900 square meters, is equipped with chemistry, biology and animal labs as well as advanced scientific research facilities. It is capable of micromolecule and macromolecule research as well as research on different diseases.

In the near future, the Shanghai research institute will try to enhance the company's research capabilities in and outside China, and bring in more talented researchers, so as to advance domestic medical treatment and benefit more Chinese patients.

A manager of Otsuka said that the Chinese market is an integral part of the company's global strategy and the opening of the new research center shows Otsuka's confidence in the country. 

Zhangjiang authorities vowed that they will continue to create a first-class business environment for foreign-invested research institutes, and give them strong government support to help the companies further develop.

Otsuka Shanghai Research Institute, established in Zhangjiang Pharma Valley in 2008, works on the R&D of innovative anti-infectious drugs and drugs for central nervous system diseases. It is the first research institute set up in China by a Japanese pharmaceutical company and serves as a key part of Otsuka Group's global drug research system.

Founded in 1921, the Otsuka Group has developed into a world-renowned pharmaceutical company that has 183 subsidiaries and 46,000 workers in 28 countries and regions all over the world.

Otsuka started its presence in China in 1981 and built its regional headquarters in Shanghai in 2003. Now, it has nearly 30 subsidiaries in China involved in the fields of pharmaceutical, medical equipment, nutritious food and beverages, and chemical materials.

Otsuka Shanghai Research Institute, a Chinese research arm of Japan's Otsuka Group, opens a new R&D center in Zhangjiang area, Pudong, Shanghai, on Oct 18. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiangfabu]