A spirited debate on the industry, with wings of dreams soaring into the future.

In response to the new landscape shaped by the internet, capital investment, and modern aquaculture, as well as the current state of the veterinary biologics industry, the Biologics Sub‑Forum of the High‑Level Forum on Veterinary Drug Industry Development and Livestock Product Safety held an in‑person interactive session on the afternoon of the 16th. The session was chaired by Hu Qiyi, Chairman of China Animal Husbandry Industrial Co., Ltd., and featured participation from Gu Hong, Director of the Pharmaceutical Administration Division of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture; Li Wanmeng, Executive General Manager of Merial China; Sun Jinzhong, General Manager of Placor Bioengineering Co., Ltd.; Xiang Huixing, Chairman of Beijing Zhonglian Kang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Sun Hao, Chairman of Beijing Huadu Yupin Poultry Co., Ltd.; Wang Yongsheng, General Manager of Jinyu Baoling Biological Products Co., Ltd.; Fan Gencheng, General Manager of Qingdao Yibang Bioengineering Co., Ltd.; and Wu Dongxun, General Manager of China Animal Husbandry Industrial Co., Ltd. During this exchange, representatives from each company raised a series of incisive questions, all of which were met with insightful responses from industry leaders and experts.

1. Perspective Examination

Question: In the development of the biopharmaceutical industry, as a regulator, could you, from the perspective of enterprises, identify areas that require improvement or enhancements that would create more favorable conditions for businesses?

Director Gu Hong of the Drug Administration Division, Veterinary Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, stated: “Before the end of this year, we will issue the ‘Industry Guidance Opinions,’ which will include provisions on reforming new industry‑specific systems. The next step will be to revise these measures item by item and ensure their effective implementation. Among the reforms are changes to the ‘Veterinary Drug Review System,’ a matter of particular concern to enterprises—specifically, updating the framework and refining the review mechanisms for veterinary drugs, including the registration categories and evaluation criteria for different products. We will also revise the definition of “new veterinary drugs,” moving away from arbitrary exclusions and adopting a more scientific approach to assessment, thereby contributing to the development of the industry.”

2. Gap

Q: What are the gaps between China’s veterinary pharmaceuticals and those of other countries?

Wang Yongsheng: In fact, Chinese veterinary medicines do not differ significantly from their international counterparts. What China needs to strengthen, however, is the following: ① Innovation: Compared with China, foreign markets offer broader platforms that can integrate diverse products—such as vaccines—and foster strategic collaborations among enterprises. Therefore, when developing new products, China would benefit from establishing more such exchange platforms, which can broaden perspectives and generate fresh ideas; ② Marketing and sales: Companies should not merely produce but also leverage data to solidify their market position; ③ Quality improvement: All value derived from a product ultimately stems from its fundamental quality, making it essential to enhance GMP inspection and certification systems.

3. A “Win-Win” on the Internet

Q: How can we create value for our customers?

Sun Jinzhong: Taking layer‑hen customers as an example, the internet‑based approach in the layer‑hen sector is centered on creating value for customers. By establishing multiple service outlets at the frontline, it both sells customers the products they need—such as biologicals and feed—and purchases their eggs, thereby fostering a “two‑way economy.”

4. Chinese Market

Q: How does Meria view the Chinese market?

Li Wanmeng: ① China’s traditional consumption of pork will remain unchanged; ② consumption of grains and poultry will certainly increase; ③ as living standards continue to rise and the population ages, the pet market will also expand; ④ for ruminants such as cattle and sheep, the “zero-tariff” imports from New Zealand and Australia will exert significant pressure on the Chinese market.

5. The starting point of the logic should be considered from the enterprise’s perspective.

Qin Dechao, General Manager of Qianyuanhao: Regardless of the current system or the future direction of reform, what are the logical starting point and legal basis for veterinary drug approval, particularly for biological products?

Gu Hong, Director of the Pharmaceutical Administration Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, stated: “Under the current legal framework of the Regulations on the Administration of Veterinary Drugs, we can only implement adjustments that are feasible. Breaking through higher-level legislation would be quite challenging, and amending a regulation issued by the State Council is no simple task that can be accomplished overnight. Over the past two years, we have been revising the system for approving veterinary drug product registration numbers, and we expect to issue the revised regulations by year’s end. The new approval system will incorporate many provisions mirroring the preventive and control measures applied to human medicines, thereby strengthening protection for new veterinary drugs. This will eliminate the previous practice of arbitrarily submitting applications once a standard has been met, fostering a virtuous cycle that promotes scientific and technological innovation.”

It is anticipated that GMP standards for diagnostic products will be issued before the end of the year. At present, the primary focus is on meticulously revising the textual descriptions to enhance their accuracy. These standards differ from the existing GMP requirements for vaccines, better reflecting the unique characteristics of biological products and the specific facility‑related requirements. They have already been incorporated into the overall framework for veterinary drug standard management and registration review. In short, our guiding principle is to foster industry development, improve product quality, and advance scientific and technological progress—without allowing policy measures to impede industrial growth. By ensuring that enterprises maintain product quality, we aim to drive the sector’s continued advancement.

General Manager Qin Dechao evaluated and summarized the responses received: Moving forward on the path of reform, the administration should adhere to the twelve-character principle of “enterprise‑centric, market‑oriented, and innovation‑protective.”

Yang Jinsong, Deputy Director of the China Veterinary Drug Supervision Institute and Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Veterinary Pharmaceutical Association, expressed his gratitude to the representatives who participated in the event. He emphasized that industry enterprises are at the heart of the initiative, and that the Association will continue to provide robust support to businesses, working together to achieve the sector’s development goals.