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Asymchem CEO Listed Among Top 50 Chinese CEOs by Forbes

Forbes China (the Chinese-language edition of Forbes), published its annual ranking of the mainland’s top 50 CEOs. Asymchem’s Dr. Hong Hao, was named as one of them. Forbes China’s Best CEOs List takes into account a company’s stock price performance, market value, revenue, net profit, profit growth, return on assets and return on equity for listed businesses for the years between 2018 and 2020. See the full story here.

Dr. Hong Hao, Chairman of Asymchem, honored as “TEDA Top Talent”

Recently, Tianjin Economic Development Area held a Top Talent talent recognition and talent-led high-quality development forum. Dr. Hong Hao, Chairman and CEO of Asymchem, was awarded the honor of “TEDA Top Talent” and Dr. Xiao Yi, Senior Vice President, was awarded the honor of “TEDA High-Level Talent – Innovation Star”. Asymchem will continue to introduce high-end talents to grow with TEDA and create good results together.

 


Technology Updates

Asymchem fixed bed technology successfully scaled up to pilot scale

Nitro reduction is a class of reactions with complex reaction pathways and kinetics, and is accompanied by intense exothermic reactions. During the scale-up process, its thermal hazards often lead to imprecise temperature control and result in the generation of large amounts of dropped impurities or tar and a significant decrease in reaction yield or selectivity. By studying and analyzing the reaction kinetics, Asymchem’s flow continuous chemistry technology team established a kinetic model of the reaction mechanism, and then simulated the reaction and temperature of each part of the flow continuous fixed bed by calculation, which guided the bed design and temperature control strategy of the pilot reactor, and achieved the desired results. In the pilot run of 480h, the bed temperature was always within the process range, and the reaction quality and selectivity were stably controlled. This established a new quality and control standard for the development of the fixed-bed flow continuous process..

 

Asymchem ketoreductase patent granted

Relying on its own enzyme library resources and using the existing evolutionary platform for structure prediction simulation and high throughput screening, Asymchem has developed two types of ketone reductases independently and obtained patents from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CN110257351B and CN108048416B). One class can synthesize chiral alcohols (Conv. >99%, ee value >99%), which are difficult to synthesize by chemical methods, and the other class can synthesize substituted cycloalkyl chiral alcohols (Conv. >99%, selectivity >98%) with high efficiency and selectivity. These two types of ketone-reducing enzymes have high catalytic efficiency and good stereoselectivity, which can effectively reduce the amount of waste generated contributing to the advancement of manufacturing technology innovation in green chemistry.

Asymchem proline hydroxylase and its application technology granted patent

Asymchem proline hydroxylase and its application technology was granted a patent (CN106834244B) by the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The invention involves genetic engineering and enzyme engineering, and provides a proline hydroxylase and its application with higher catalytic specificity than existing ones, while significantly improving catalytic activity, solving the problem of poor catalytic selectivity of proline hydroxylases in the prior art, and having wider application value.

Patent granted for synthesis method of Icatibant developed by Asymchem

The synthesis method of Icatibant developed by Asymchem was granted by China National Intellectual Property Administration (CN110343147B). The method uses three peptide chain coupling methods which are better than the stepwise coupling method, and the content of des-Pro impurity and des-D-Arg impurity are less than 0.1%. The purity of crude peptide can reach 90-92%, and the yield of crude peptide can reach 93%. As an efficient synthesis process of Icatibant, this process has the advantages of short process, high product yield and purity.

Asymchem aminotransferase mutant and its application technology were granted a patent

Asymchem aminotransferase mutant and its application technology, was granted a patent by China National Intellectual Property Administration (CN110628742B). The invention combines rational design and random mutation techniques to rationally modify the SsTA protein. The obtained mutants expand the substrate spectrum and improve the catalytic ability for large structural substrates; meanwhile, their stability is enhanced, and they can perform catalytic reactions under high solvent concentration and high temperature conditions.

 


Expansion Updates

Asymchem TJ started several new projects of building construction simultaneously

In order to continue to increase production capacity, improve operational efficiency and meet the growing needs of new business expansion, Asymchem TJ sites started several new building construction projects simultaneously. 15% of the new kilogram laboratory was completed on the first floor of TJ2 Building 12, and 68% of the civil construction work of TJ3 API building 3 construction project was completed. In the latter, the installation of pressure relief walls and roofing was completed, and 50% of the exterior wall insulation was completed. The completion of the TJ3 API building project will further expand Asymchem’s API production service capacity and meet customers’ demand for customized production of high-end APIs. In addition, Asymchem plans to expand TJ2 Building 1&2 first floor laboratories; build a new fermentation building in TJ headquarters for R&D and manufacturing of general enzymes and pharmaceutical enzymes; build a new CMMD plant in the west area of TJ headquarters to provide separate buildings for peptides, oligonucleotides and excipients.

Asymchem DH1, DH2, DH3 new buildings under construction

Asymchem DH1 new buildings 5, 6, and 7 constrution is progressing.  Building 5 has entered the installation stage with 20% completion. Building 6 is at 99% completion. Modules 18 and 19 have met operation conditions. Building 7 is at 70% completion. The construction of the multi-purpose building will begin soon. DH2 plans to construct the waste treatment module & distillation module, the project is expected to be completed December 2021. The completion ratio of the 20-liter tank farm is 10%. In the DH3 new raw material plant, the production plant is currently under construction on three floors. The main body is expected to be completed in mid-August. Construction estimates for Building 4 and 5 are under review. When completed, the buildings will further expand the production capacity of Asymchem’s important raw materials, strongly promote the company’s future performance of sustained and stable growth.

 


Tianjin Technology Innovation Center for Clinical Research (TICCR)

TICCR Keynote Presentation at Oracle Health Sciences Safety Suite Seminar

To prepare the official implementation of the Pharmacovigilance Quality Management Standard, Oracle held a Health Sciences Safety Suite Seminar on July 21, in which Dr. Zhulin Ma, Senior Medical Director of TICCR, gave a speech on, “Application Scenarios of Pharmacovigilance Signal Detection”. Dr. Ma went through the evolution of China’s pharmacovigilance regulations and analyzed the chapters of signal detection in the new GVP, comparing the national regulatory requirements with the actual business needs of enterprises, and providing reference suggestions for better process design and capability matching for enterprises to meet the GVP compliance requirements. Representatives from more than sixty Chinese pharmaceutical companies and pharmacovigilance service providers attended the conference.

 


Newly Joined Talent

Mr. Liu Donglian, joined Asymchem in July 2021 as the Vice President of Asymchem Biologicals and is mainly responsible for the R&D and production management of large molecule biologics, quality system construction and technical team integration, solving various problems that arise during the project process and ensuring the smooth development of the Group’s development strategy layout. Mr. Liu Donglian graduated from Central China Normal University in 1994 with a master’s degree in science. After graduation, he has been focusing on the field of biopharmaceuticals and has held technical and senior management positions in large biopharmaceutical companies such as Shanghai Huaxin Biotechnology, Nanjing Huaxin Biotechnology, Shanghai Enpei Biotechnology, and TOT Biopharm. He has been engaged in the process development and commercial production of recombinant proteins, viral vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and ADC drugs. He has rich professional knowledge and management experience in R&D, process technology, quality management and commercial production of large molecule biologics.