Gilead Sciences to Establish Its Western China Operation Center in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone

CHENGDU, China, July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 10th, Chengdu Hi-tech Zone and Gilead Sciences inked a strategic cooperation agreement on the Gilead Sciences Western China Operation Center project, which marked the official registration of its western China operation center in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone.

Established in 1987 and headquartered in California, Gilead Sciences is one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world. As a pioneer in producing drugs for AIDS and hepatic diseases, its business income amounted to USD 22.1 billion in 2018, ranking the 455th on the Fortune Global 500 list.

It was introduced by Luo Yongqing, Global Vice President of Gilead Sciences and General Manager of Gilead Sciences (China), that the establishment was to take Sichuan and Chengdu Hi-tech Zone as one of its important strategic bases in China. Going forward, the center will be mainly engaged in the operation and management of Gilead Sciences' business in western China, which will be of great significance to effectively promoting the development of the bioengineering and pharmaceutical industry in Chengdu and Sichuan and even the central and western China.

As an important node city in the junction of "Belt & Road" and Yangtze River Economic Belt, Chengdu has already opened 112 international (regional) flights. Chengdu is the only city in central and western China that owns two airports. The annual passenger throughput of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport reaches 50 million. Chengdu has become a favored destination for foreign investment owing to its continuously-optimized international business environment in recent years. So far, 288 of Fortune Global 500 have set up their offices in Chengdu, mainly from 22 regions such as Europe, US, Japan, and South Korea.

As Chengdu's main field of bioengineering and pharmaceutical industry, Chengdu Hi-tech Zone has been striving to set up modern biological industrial system with international competitiveness in recent years. Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town which was completed in 2016 has attracted 127 projects up to now with an overall investment agreement valued at more than RMB 100 billion. Furthermore, it has introduced five Nobel Prize-winning teams. Chengdu Hi-tech Zone jumped to the 6^th place on the overall competitiveness ranking among 171 biomedical industrial parks in 2018 selected by the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China.