Hefei - first bio economy zone in the world

Ayo Johnson shakes hands with Dr. Wang Qunwei from Sinobioway before the logo of the company at the manufacturing base of Beijing Sinobioway Group in Hefei of east China's Anhui Province. Dr. Wang's team was actively involved in the research and testing of CAR-T (Chimeric Antegen Receptor T cell). The research focused on treating blood cancer like leukaemia, hutchins diseases and lymphoma. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Wang Lei]

Written by Ayo Johnson, British journalist and GLG Council Member &Consultant at GLG

Hefei is a city that aims to surpass every other city in China and be competitive in its development around the globe. At the centre of this astonishing growth is the world’s first bio economy zone operated by Sinobioway Bioeconomy Group.

The zone currently under construction will cover over 310,000 square metres, staffed by over 1,000 highly trained scientist and costing over 3 billion Dollars. 

This scientific sector encompasses of an “industrialized area of biological products tourism & health maintenance” and “medical operations with precision”.

Over the next 5 years the buildings within the zone will house scientific businesses making the local cooperation stronger and international prestige higher.

At the cell therapy unit Dr Wang Qunwei who studied at Nottingham University in the UK and now a Director at Sinobioway, was keen to show me his lab. 

In cooperation with the Baylor College of Medicine in the USA and under licence, Dr. Wang’s team was actively involved in the research and testing of CAR-T (Chimeric Antegen Receptor T cell).

The process involved getting 150 ml of the patient’s blood, isolating and genetically modifying the cell, extracting fragments of antibody, targeting specific molecules in the cancer, culture over a 14 day period and if all is ok infuse into the patient.

The research focused on treating blood cancers like leukaemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma and other diseases. Over 2 years of testing and 100 patients had received the therapy with exceptional results. In one particular case a patient having received 2 doses of T cell infusion, was now free from cancer.

With the completion of the bio economy zone in a few years, therapies such as T cell therapy can become routine; improving the all-round heath of the Chinese population and ultimately the rest of the world.