China's Ausia BioTech seeks international pharma customers

Hangzhou CMO Ausia BioTech has partnered with New Mexico-based PaizaBio to market its manufacturing services to Western drugmakers interested in the Chinese sterile injectables market. 

The Chinese contractor called on newly founded PaizaBio to help market its services to international drug firms in June. The first stage of this campaign - announced today - is to try to win business from companies attracted by but wary of the Chinese market.

Ausia BioTech operates a 40,000 square meter site in Hangzhou that houses an analysis laboratory, manufacturing capacity and warehousing space. The contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) also has a “sterile university” that provides training for operatives who work in aseptic production environments.

PaizaBio – which is due to be launched officially at a tradeshow in Spain next month – is a much smaller operation.

The firm – which is named after the paiza medallion apparently presented to Marco Polo by Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan – is based at Albuquerque’s Bioscience Center and employs a three-strong team of pharma industry experts and marketers.

The plan is the Ausia BioTech will either provide Western firms with contract manufacturing services for products for the Chinese market or allow them to test the market before building their own production facilities.

PaizaBio founder Stuart Rose described the firm as a “safe ‘portal’ to the Chinese sterile injectables drug market for Western pharmaceutical companies.”

He added that: “Our clients will enjoy rapid entry in the Chinese market with no significant capital outlay, and with a partner that provides manufacturing innovation and quality products that meet China’s regulations, in the formats and packaging the market prefers.”