WuXi AppTec

Type	Public
Traded as	SSE: 603259
Industry	Contract Research Organizations Pharmaceutical Biopharmaceutical Medical Devices
Founded	2000
Headquarters	Shanghai, China
Number of locations	18, including in China and USA
Key people	Dr. Ge Li
Number of employees	>14,000 (2017)[1]
Website	www.wuxiapptec.com

WuXi AppTec (WuXi is pronounced as Wu-shee) is a global pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and medical device company.

The company covers the development cycle through five core operations, including small molecule R&D and manufacturing, biologics R&D and manufacturing, cell therapy and gene therapy R&D and manufacturing, medical device testing, and molecular testing and genomics.

History

WuXi PharmaTech was founded in December 2000 in Shanghai by organic chemist Dr. Ge Li.^{[2] [3]}

WuXi PharmaTech established services in synthetic chemistry in 2001, manufacturing process development in 2003, research manufacturing in 2004, bioanalytical services in 2005, service biology in 2006, and toxicology and formulation in 2007. On December 14, 2006, WuXi PharmaTech announced that it was ranked 173rd on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific 2006.^[4] The company opened chemistry facilities in Tianjin in 2007. In 2008, WuXi PharmaTech acquired AppTec Laboratory Services Inc., a US-based company founded in 2001 with expertise in medical-device and biologics testing and with facilities in St. Paul, MN; Philadelphia, PA; and Atlanta, GA. In the same year the company was renamed WuXi AppTec.^[5][6] WuXi AppTec opened a toxicology facility in Suzhou in 2009.^[7]

WuXi AppTec's subsidiary, WuXi STA, opened a large-scale manufacturing facility in Jinshan in 2010. The company began a biologics discovery, development, and manufacturing operation in Shanghai and Wuxi City in 2011. At the same year, WuXi AppTec acquired MedKey, a China-based clinical research company,^[8] and Abgent, a San Diego company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of antibodies for biological research and drug discovery.^[9] In 2012, WuXi AppTec opened a chemistry facility in Wuhan and a GMP biologics drug-substance facility in Wuxi City. That year WuXi AppTec also entered into a joint venture with MedImmune, the biologics arm of AstraZeneca, to co-develop MEDI5117, an anti-IL6 antibody for rheumatoid arthritis for the Chinese market.^[10] In 2013, WuXi AppTec formed a joint venture with the global clinical contract research organization PRA International (now called PRA Health Sciences) to build a clinical research business in China.^[11]

In 2014, WuXi AppTec opened a new biologics biosafety testing facility in Suzhou. In the same year, WuXi AppTec acquired XenoBiotic Laboratories, Inc. (XBL), a contract research organization with 27 years of operation that provides bioanalytical, drug metabolism, and pharmacokinetic services to the pharmaceutical, animal health, and agrochemical industries.^[12]

In 2015, WuXi AppTec completed its merger with WuXi Merger Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of New WuXi Life Science Limited. As a result of the merger, New WuXi Life Science Limited acquired the company in a cash transaction valued at approximately US$3.3 billion.^[13] In 2016, WuXi STA opened a new campus in Changzhou^[14] and operations in San Diego. In the same year, WuXi AppTec acquired Crelux GmbH, a structure-based drug discovery provider based in Munich, Germany.^[15] In 2017, WuXi AppTec acquired HD Biosciences (HDB), a biology focused preclinical drug discovery contract research organization (CRO).^[16]

Company segments and subsidiaries

WuXi AppTec provides services to its customers primarily in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and other life science industries, as well as research institutes, disease-focused and non-profit foundations. There are 5 areas of focus for services:

1. Small Molecule Therapeutics R&D, Manufacturing and Testing
2. Biologicals Therapeutics R&D and Manufacturing
3. Gene- and Cell-based Therapies Manufacturing
4. Medical Device Testing
5. Genomics and Molecular Diagnostics.

References