AstraZeneca plans to build a manufacturing facility in Qingdao, China, to produce its Breztri aerosol inhalant COPD treatment, which was recently added to the country’s National Reimbursement Drug List.
AZ made the announcement (Chinese) during a meeting with local municipal officials, though details regarding the cost, size and completion date weren’t disclosed.
Additionally, the company said it will set up a regional headquarters in Qingdao and establish an innovation center focused on rare diseases as part of its efforts to promote biomedical innovation in the country.
"AstraZeneca's investment in the Qingdao production and supply base aims to better meet the huge demand of patients for Breztri inhalation aerosols,” Wang Lei, an AstraZeneca executive vice president, said in a statement.
China’s National Medical Products Administration approved Breztri (budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol fumarate) for the maintenance and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in late 2019.
News of the Qingdao project comes a little more than six months after AstraZeneca was taken to task by China’s healthcare fund watchdog over alleged fraud.