Recently, the key special project—"Joint Research on a Bio-innovative Drug for the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome"—under the National Key R&D Program’s “Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” initiative, submitted by NORTHLAND, has been approved and supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The project is granted funding of 2.5 million yuan, with a research and development period of two years. Nie Liya, Executive Deputy General Manager of the company, serves as the project leader.

        The “Intergovernmental International Cooperation in Science and Technology Innovation” key special project was established by the Chinese government at the national level in 2001. It is an important component of the National Key Research and Development Program. The project aims to systematically coordinate and integrate China’s scientific, industrial, and educational resources to carry out extensive and in-depth international scientific and technological cooperation and exchanges, effectively leverage global scientific and technological resources, enhance innovation capabilities, and jointly promote scientific and technological progress for the benefit of all humanity.

        In 2015, NORTHLAND granted Huons of South Korea the rights to develop the ophthalmic indication of recombinant human thymosin β4 overseas through technology transfer. To date, NORTHLAND has received the phased transfer fees. As the inventor of this drug’s structural formula, NORTHLAND already possesses stable pilot-scale production capabilities for the raw solution and has established relatively comprehensive quality standards. The Korean partner is a professional manufacturer of eye-drop formulations and has now successfully resolved the formulation technology for this product and initiated animal studies, essentially completing the preclinical research phase. In this special collaboration, by joining forces and leveraging each other's strengths, both parties will effectively accelerate the R&D progress of this product and significantly speed up its market entry and commercialization.

        Dry eye syndrome is a serious disease that poses a significant threat to public health. Its prevalence is relatively high; it’s estimated that the number of dry-eye patients in China ranges from 273 million to 390 million. With the widespread adoption of electronic devices, the number of patients is rapidly increasing. This project involves an innovative thymosin β4 eye drop formulation that exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and promotes both the quantity and function of goblet cells. It is expected to overcome the shortcomings of current dry-eye treatments and could become a safe and effective therapeutic option for dry eye syndrome. This product will fill a gap in China’s biological drug treatment landscape for dry eye syndrome and holds great market potential.

        This project has smoothly passed the approval process in both China and South Korea, fully demonstrating its innovative nature and serving as another strong testament to the company’s R&D capabilities and international cooperation prowess. The approval of this project represents national recognition of our company’s technological expertise, while also providing us with further motivation. NORTHLAND will continue to uphold our mission of “creating value and serving health,” relentlessly striving for progress and sustained innovation, and making positive contributions to the advancement of China’s pharmaceutical industry and human health.