On September 9, 2024, a signing ceremony for the establishment of the "Peking University Health Science Center----Baheal Pharma Atherosclerosis Collaborative Innovation Joint Laboratory" was held in Beijing. Baheal Pharma, in collaboration with Peking University Health Science Center and Peking University First Hospital, aims to advance basic research and clinical translation in the field of atherosclerosis. The event was attended by key representatives including Qiao Jie, Executive Vice President of Peking University, Director of PKU Health Science Center, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Dong Erdan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling; and Fu Gang, Chairman of BAHEAL. Leading figures from Peking University Health Science Center, Peking University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University First Hospital, and Baheal Pharma also participated in the event.

                                    At the signing ceremony

Atherosclerosis is the underlying pathology of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which are the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the "Expert Consensus on Integrative Medicine for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Atherosclerosis," an estimated 20 million people globally die from atherosclerotic diseases each year. In China, changes in diet and lifestyle have led to a rising incidence of atherosclerosis, with a worrying trend toward affecting younger people. There is a significant unmet need for clinical prevention, early diagnosis, and early treatment in this area.

Inauguration of the Joint Laboratory

The newly established "Peking University Health Science Center - Baheal Pharma Atherosclerosis Collaborative Innovation Joint Laboratory" is a pioneering initiative co-founded by academia, hospitals, and industry partners. This collaboration leverages the expertise and resources of each party to create an efficient and synergistic model for basic research, clinical studies, and industrial applications. The lab will focus on identifying new risk factors and pathogenic genes related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, developing novel preventive and therapeutic targets, and advancing innovative cardiovascular solutions from the lab to market. This initiative aims to enhance clinical outcomes and meet patient needs by accelerating the translation of cutting-edge research into practical applications.

Speech by Qiao Jie

At the ceremony, Qiao Jie, Executive Vice President of Peking University, Director of the Health Science Center, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that Peking University Health Science Center adheres to the "four orientations" as its guiding principles, maintaining a commitment to cutting-edge exploration and technological innovation, while actively collaborating with enterprises for the translation of research achievements. Through the establishment of this joint laboratory among academia, hospitals, and industry, Qiao Jie expressed hope for achieving clearer clinical directions and more efficient resource coordination. This collaboration aims to accelerate technological breakthroughs in the related fields and leverage BAHEAL’s capabilities in translating innovative outcomes, thereby tightly integrating basic research with clinical applications. Ultimately, the goal is to jointly develop products and technologies with genuine clinical value to serve public health.

Speech by Fu Gang

Fu Gang, Chairman of Baheal Pharma Group, emphasized that China's pharmaceutical industry is at a critical juncture for breakthrough innovations. BAHEAL is committed to its mission of "optimizing medical scenarios through technological innovation" and leverages its strengths as an "industrial investor" to accelerate the formation of an innovation-driven, ecological industry cluster in China's pharmaceutical sector. The effective collaboration among research hospital clusters, basic research clusters, and industrialization clusters aims to release the value of foundational pharmaceutical innovation.

Previously, Peking University and BAHEAL have established joint laboratories in cutting-edge fields such as nuclear medicine molecular imaging and organ-on-a-chip technology, laying a solid foundation for collaboration. Fu Gang expressed hope that the establishment of the Joint Laboratory for Atherosclerosis will further deepen cooperation among academia, medical institutions, and industry, creating a new benchmark for innovation and translation in this field, ultimately benefiting more patients.

Speech by Dong Erdan

Additionally, at the ceremony, Professor Dong Erdan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of the National Key Laboratory for Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute, extended his heartfelt congratulations on the establishment of the new joint laboratory. He remarked that atherosclerosis and its related diseases pose a significant burden on patients worldwide and have long been critical issues in the medical field. Dong Erdan expressed hope that through the efficient coordination and resource linkage among academia, hospitals, and industry, this collaboration could accelerate breakthroughs in the field, contributing valuable experiences and outcomes to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in China and beyond.

On the same day, BAHEAL signed a donation agreement with Peking University Health Science Center. BAHEAL will donate 3 million RMB to support the innovative development of clinical medical research and the construction of related laboratories at the center.

At the donating ceremony

In recent years, guided by the national strategy for technological innovation, BAHEAL has leveraged its substantial industrial resources and ecosystem-based innovation mechanisms to actively collaborate with top-tier research institutions. Partnering with renowned entities such as Peking University Health Science Center, Fuwai Hospital, and the Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, BAHEAL has established multiple joint laboratories and innovation projects aimed at identifying clinically valuable breakthroughs from the source. Additionally, BAHEAL has teamed up with Peking University Health Science Center and Peking Union Medical College to set up multimillion RMB funds for innovation and educational purposes, supporting medical advancements through talent cultivation and institutional development. To date, BAHEAL has made significant strides in fields including fully magnetic levitation artificial hearts, medical electron linear accelerators, electromagnetic navigation puncture devices, innovative nuclear medicine drugs and SPECT/CT, as well as innovative oncology and bone regeneration drugs.

In the future, BAHEAL will continue to address unmet clinical needs by fostering more academia-industry collaborations focused on pioneering medical research. By serving as a catalyst for medical innovation, BAHEAL aims to efficiently allocate resources, drive synergistic breakthroughs in key technologies, and develop new productive capacities within the pharmaceutical sector. The objective is to deliver more clinically valuable products and services, truly enhancing healthcare through technological innovation.