China based CMS joins BaseLaunch as latest partner

Further strengthens global pharma industry ties to drive company building activities  

BASEL, Switzerland, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BaseLaunch, the Basel Area-based biotech venture accelerator and incubator, today announces that China Medical System Holdings Limited ("CMS"), an innovation-driven specialty pharma with a focus on sales and marketing in China, has become a partner to further strengthen BaseLaunch`s industry ties fueling its company building activities.

CMS joins world class pharma, venture fund and biotechnology partners - Roche, BB Pureos Bioventures, Roivant Sciences, Bridge Biotherapeutics, CSL Behring and Johnson & Johnson Innovation - in supporting BaseLaunch's mission to build the next generation of exceptional biotech companies.

CMS, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, was founded nearly 30 years ago and has a successful track record of developing products and introducing globally innovative products into Greater China and Asia. CMS has a long history of successful partnership with a range of companies from biotechnology companies to global pharma, and has collaborations with AstraZeneca and a venture arm based in Cambridge UK. With its efficient clinical execution, commercialization capability and capital strength, CMS has initiated a new industrial investment model this year and is dedicated to building a professional and efficient incubation platform of innovative medicines with the objective of strengthening the pipeline of opportunities in biotech and life sciences.

Stephan Emmerth, Director Business Development & Operations at BaseLaunch, added: "We are very excited to be further expanding our partnership into Asia Pacific with CMS. This is the first Chinese company to partner with BaseLaunch and CMS's first partnership with an accelerator. It broadens BaseLaunch's partner diversity with pharma, venture funds and biotechnology companies and once again highlights the level of interest from leading and highly innovative corporate partners in the global biopharma community."

BaseLaunch serves as an accelerator and incubator for early-stage ventures developing cutting-edge therapeutics. It helps build companies from inception through to Series A funding, providing financing and supporting all aspects of business development. Since 2018, BaseLaunch has supported 13 early therapeutic ventures which have raised a total of more than USD 270 million in equity capital from US and European venture funds. To date, one of the early therapeutic companies, Tepthera, has been sold and several others have signed collaborations. Recently, BaseLaunch has added two more companies to its portfolio with several more deals expected to close in the coming months. Furthermore, BaseLaunch has been instrumental in the development of several more ventures. These activities have made a significant contribution to the vibrant life sciences ecosystem of the Basel Area.

BaseLaunch is operated by Basel Area Business & Innovation, the investment and innovation promotion agency of the Basel Area. BaseLaunch has partnered with a diverse group of international life sciences organisations, with the aim of harnessing the Basel Area's unique position as a global life sciences hub, as well as its rising popularity among investors, to attract the next generation of breakthrough companies.

About BaseLaunch

BaseLaunch is the Basel Area-based incubator and accelerator that helps scientists and entrepreneurs launch exceptional biotech companies. BaseLaunch serves as a growth platform for early stage ventures developing cutting-edge therapeutics. BaseLaunch helps build companies from inception through to Series A funding, providing financing and supporting all aspects of business development. Operationally run and financed by Basel Area Business & Innovation, the investment and innovation promotion agency of the Basel Area, BaseLaunch partners with leading global pharma companies and venture funds - Roche, BB Pureos Bioventures, Roivant Sciences, Bridge Bioventures, CSL Behring, Johnson & Johnson and CMS - which also feed into the pool out of which BaseLaunch funds ventures. Regional and domain partners include the cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt, KPMG, SpiroChem, Vossius & Partner, Walder Wyss attorneys at law, WuXi AppTec, Alloy Therapeutics as well as the Technology Park Basel and the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area. Since 2018, BaseLaunch supported ventures have raised in total over USD 270 million. Harnessing Basel Area's unique position as a global life sciences hub, as well as its rising popularity among investors, BaseLaunch is looking to attract the next generation of breakthrough companies and is now open for applications. Interested groups can find more information at www.baselaunch.ch

About Basel Area Business & Innovation

Basel Area Business & Innovation is the investment and innovation promotion agency dedicated to helping companies, institutions and startups find business success in the Basel Area. The organization targets and attracts companies to settle, supports founders of innovative ventures, and drives high growth initiatives in order to establish the region as the Swiss business and innovation hub of the future. The non-profit agency focuses on growing the area's cutting-edge industries life sciences, healthcare and production technologies and manages the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area which houses the organization's accelerator programs. The agency serves the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura. www.baselarea.swiss

About China Medical System Holdings Limited

CMS is a well-established, innovation-driven specialty pharma with a focus on sales and marketing in China, dedicated to offering competitive products and services to meet China's unmet needs for health and beauty. CMS focuses on deploying innovative products that are global first-in-class, or with the best efficacy, safety or cost-effectiveness in the class due to their innovative formulations or drug delivery systems, and has deployed more than 20 innovative products with relatively high innovation level, good market potential and competitive differentiation advantages. CMS covers extensive hospital networks and expert resources in various therapeutic fields, which can accelerate the clinical development of innovative medicines in China. CMS has strong commercialization capability and has created leading market positions for a number of medicines. Jointly driven by the strong product competence, the powerful commercialization capability and the refined management system, it has become one of the pharmaceutical companies with the highest operation efficiency in China. CMS has formed a business layout with core business in pharmaceuticals, together with development of the dermatology and medical aesthetic business and the healthcare business, building a solid foundation for the rising of "new CMS". www.en.cms.net.cn