1.Huang Tieqing, Deputy Director of Bureau of Major R&D Programs, Chinese Academy of Sciences
 

Distinguished academicians, leaders, experts, and guests,
Good morning!

It’s a great honor to be able to attend the Launch of GV-971’s Global Strategy and 1st Gut-Brian Axis Forum on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, or CAS.

First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on the successful convening of today’s forum. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I would also like to congratulate on the successful development of GV-971, a major scientific accomplishment that has been conditionally approved by the National Medical Products Administration. The success of GV-971 has great theoretical significance, huge practical implication, and important value for reference for exploring a new national system for tackling key scientific and technological challenges. With Professor Geng Meiyu from the CAS Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica serving as the lead researcher, GV-971 is a novel drug for treating Alzheimer's disease that’s co-developed by the Ocean University of China, the CAS Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, and Green Valley Pharmaceuticals. Independently developed by China, it is an innovative multi-target AD drug that’s the first of its kind in the world as well as the first new AD drug in 17 years to have been approved anywhere in the world, providing a new treatment option for AD patients.

The success of GV-971 is the significant achievement of 22 years of unremitting efforts by the R&D team that builds on the close collaboration between research, hospital and enterprise, and the synergy between national science and technology authorities, local government and CAS. It is an important accomplishment that’s made possible by the effective integration of technological innovation and research commercialization, and the implementation of China’s innovation-driven development strategy and Healthy China strategy.

Also, the success of GV-971 is an outstanding example of CAS’s efforts to deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system, promote the transfer and commercialization of research achievements, and strengthen the cooperation between research and industry. CAS has been thoroughly following the requirements and expectations put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Under his guidance, we’ve been earnestly implementing an action plan to pursue pioneering explorations, deepening the reform of system and mechanism, focusing on major scientific and technological topics, and integrating the whole academy’s drug R&D resources. We’ve also innovated the collaboration between industry, academia and research, established the Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation, and effectively gathered available resources and strengths, to greatly spur the vitality of innovation and constantly yield innovative achievements. The R&D of affordable personalized drugs of active disease molecular typing, which is a strategic pioneering sci-tech program undertaken by CAS, has provided strong support to the R&D of GV-971, and our macro-research programs have also deeply empowered the drug’s commercialization process.

As the launch of GV-971 marks a new starting point, I hope that the R&D team will not forget their mission of innovating for the people and serving the country with science and technology. They should continue adhering to the spirit of science, to carry out in-depth research on GV-971’s mechanism of action; they should use the Gut-Brain Axis Forum as a platform to strengthen cooperation with Chinese experts in related fields and deeply study the important role of the gut-brain axis theory in the pathogenesis of AD, to provide scientific evidence for the development of new AD diagnosis methods and new treatment strategies; and they should accelerate the progress of the international multi-center clinical study, to effectively explore GV-971’s long-term therapeutic effects.

At the same time, I hope that the Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation will take the successful launch of GV-971 as an opportunity to plan for new directions in novel drug R&D, strengthen cooperation with universities, research institutions, clinical hospitals and other parties, develop more internationally-influential novel drugs that Chinese people can afford, and make greater contributions to the internationalization of Chinese medicine.

Last but not least, I wish today’s event a complete success, and that GV-971 can secure greater achievements through the implementation of its global strategy and benefit more patients worldwide. Thank you all!

2.Chen Kaixian, Deputy Chief Technical Engineer of National Major Sci-Tech Program for Novel Drug Development and Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering

Distinguished leaders, experts, and colleagues and friends from the pharmaceutical industry,
Good morning!

It is a great honor for me to be invited to the Launch of GV-971’s Global Strategy and 1st Gut-Brian Axis Forum, joining all of you to witness this historic moment of GV-971’s China launch.

We all know that GV-971, which was approved for market launch in November this year, is a First-in-Class drug independently developed by China. The launch of GV-971 has aroused great attention in both the Chinese and global pharmaceutical industry. The drug is a key project supported by the national major sci-tech program for novel drug development, and is a landmark accomplishment achieved with support from the program.

As the deputy chief technical engineer of the national major sci-tech program for novel drug development, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Professor Geng Meiyu and her research team on behalf of the program!

For a long time, due to the weak economic capacity and sci-tech foundation, there is a big gap in novel drug development between China and developed countries. For more than 20 years, the country has vigorously advocated innovative drug R&D and promoted a series of policies and measures to guide, support and encourage innovative drug R&D. Especially since 2008 when China initiated the national major sci-tech program for novel drug development, China’s independent innovation capacity for novel drug R&D has been greatly improved, and a batch of self-owned brands of novel and innovative drugs have been established, leading to a new landscape for the vigorous development of drug R&D in the country.

After more than 20 years of hardwork and exploration, China’s novel drug R&D has accumulated relatively rich experience, established a number of competent research teams, and cultivated a large number of research talents, all of which help lay a solid foundation for China’s novel drug R&D.

At present, novel drug R&D in China is gradually getting in line with that of developed countries, as the R&D capacity of research institutes has been significantly improved, enterprises have gradually become the key players of novel drug R&D, and the number of novel drug invention patents submitted has increased year by year. From 1985 when China adopted its new evaluation system for novel drug approval to 2008 when China kicked off the national major sci-tech program for novel drug development, only five Class-1 novel drugs were approved for marketing. But in the decade since 2008, 44 Class-1.1 novel drugs were approved for marketing in China, 8.8 times of the number during the 23 years before 2008. Among them, innovative drugs like GV-971 continued to overcome innovation difficulties and bottlenecks, significantly improved China’s capabilities in innovative drug R&D, and made key contributions to safeguarding the health of the whole nation.

Thanks to sustained efforts, the R&D and commercialization capabilities of innovative drugs in China have greatly improved, resulting in historic progress. And China’s novel drug R&D is now entering a new stage of development.

The R&D and successful launch of GV-971 embodies the painstaking efforts of Chinese scientists who have worked day and night, bears the ardent expectations of the country and the people, and brings new hope to AD patients. The experience of GV-971’s successful R&D can be summarized as innovative drug R&D approach, innovative understanding of disease pathogenesis, and innovative drug type, all of which provide valuable inspirations for new drug R&D in China.

At present, China’s innovative drug R&D and pharmaceutical industry development are both at a new historical juncture, as we are striving to move from the stage of imitative innovation to the new stage of original innovation. The novel drug development program will seriously explore the new positioning and new tasks of China’s drug innovation system, and deepen the research on development strategies. We must pay more attention to basic research and strive to achieve new breakthroughs in original innovation and core technologies, which represents the new mission and new requirement for China’s drug R&D and pharmaceutical industry development. We not only need to develop more novel drugs, but also constantly pioneer new strategies, new concepts, new technologies and new approaches for innovative drug R&D. To that end, we need to actively connect to new breakthroughs on the sci-tech front, tap new directions for novel drug research and commercialization, and promote the convergence and integration of multi-disciplinary and multi-technical approaches, so that we ultimately contribute to meeting people’s needs for drugs that are both accessible and affordable.

Therefore, we must be more open-minded, have the courage to accept different scientific viewpoints, be good at communicating and jointly discussing scientific issues on disease mechanisms and novel drug R&D, and foster a positive climate that promotes contending thoughts, academic prosperity, and continuous innovation.

Today, the 1st Gut-Brain Axis Forum that we’re here for is a good communication platform, as it brings together top experts, scholars and doctors from home and abroad to deeply discuss the mechanism of the gut- brain axis. And I believe this is a very good new beginning.

With China’s growing economic and technological strength, our innovative drug R&D and pharmaceutical industry development will gradually realize a new historical transformation, from following others, to running side by side with others, and then to leading others in certain aspects. Let us work together for the realization of this great historical transformation.

Finally, I would like to again extend my warmest congratulations to the research team headed by Geng Meiyu, as well as best wishes for GV-971’s successful market launch. I would also like to thank the organizers of the conference and wish today's event a complete success. Thank you all!

3.Yang Baofeng, Vice Chairman of Chinese Medical Association and Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering

Distinguished leaders, experts, and friends,
Good morning!

It is a great honor to be able to attend the Launch of GV-971’s Global Strategy. First of all, please allow me to extend my heartfelt tribute and congratulations to Professor Geng Meiyu, GV-971’s key inventor, and her team, who have been committed to developing the drug for 22 years! I would also like to express my respect and congratulations to the enterprise that has been firmly investing in the novel drug and benefiting the society for ten consecutive years!

On November 2, the National Medical Products Administration conditionally approved GV-971 as a novel drug for treating Alzheimer's disease that’s been independently developed by Chinese scientists and Chinese enterprise. This marks a major breakthrough in China’s novel drug R&D, and a commendable milestone for Chinese medicine.

For Chinese medicine to be influential and competitive in the world, we need to have a group of influential and competitive scientists, experts, and doctors, as well as influential and competitive medical procedures and innovative results that are continuously emerging. Since the People’s Republic of China was founded 70 years ago, we have made remarkable progress in medical sciences. The average life expectancy of the Chinese population has more than doubled from 35 years in 1949 to 77 years in 2018. For this, much of the credit goes to not only advances in medical sciences, but also those who devote themselves to medical and pharmaceutical research.

As Alzheimer's disease remains a conundrum for the global medical community, it’s very commendable for China to earn a place in the field, especially by securing an original achievement after no new AD drug was approved in the past 17 years. Being the world’s first AD drug that targets the gut-brain axis, GV-971 provides a new treatment option for AD patients. I think the key to success lies in the path explored by Chinese scientists that is completely different from other AD researchers, and I think it can be called the “China path”.

The development of Chinese medicine requires an open road and platform, as well as self-confidence on the scientific journey. Only with self-confidence can we unite and cooperate on a larger stage, secure greater achievements, and benefit all mankind.

Though just a dozen minutes long, the video played at the conference just now is astounding and touching. The development of GV-971 is not just a battle of one or two people, but the hardwork and commitment of a group of people who share the spirit of perseverance, cooperation, dedication, and philanthropy, so it’s a touching story. After watching the video, I feel that although everything in the world is difficult, nothing is impossible as long as we have confidence and commitment. We need to not only put science in the first place, but also work hard to overcome all difficulties. So I’d like to thank the team headed by Professor Geng Meiyu, as well as the enterprise and the whole society behind the success for their all-round support.

Of course, GV-971’s approval for market launch is only the first step in the long march. The road opened up by GV-971 needs to be explored by more people for more in-depth research and validation. Today's conference is titled “Launch of Global Strategy”, which I think is very good. It reflects both self-confidence and the spirit of science that calls for endless pursuit. Since its establishment, the Chinese Medical Association has always insisted on solidarity and cooperation. We’ve been integrating available resources, promoting academic exchanges, and bridging all medical workers.

In the future, we will also do our best to give full play to the advantages of the association, co-drive GV-971’s global strategy, and jointly promote Chinese medicine to the world.

Finally, I would like to again express my heartfelt congratulations to Geng Meiyu, her research team and Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals. I look forward to more and better novel drugs developed by your side to benefit the people and serve the country.

Finally, I wish today’s conference a complete success. Thank you all!

4.Zhang Xiaodong, Vice President of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association

Distinguished academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Sciences,  Respected leaders, experts, and guests,
Good morning!

In this freezing winter at the end of the year, we gather in Beijing to jointly attend the Launch of GV-971’s Global Strategy and 1st Gut-Brain Axis Forum. On behalf of Sun Xianzhe, President of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, I’d like to warmly congratulate on the successful convening of the conference as well as the market launch of GV-971, and pay our highest respects to scientists who have worked hard to develop the Class-1 novel drug.

As we all know, Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease, the pathogenesis of which is still inconclusive. Commonly known as dementia, AD has so far affected at least 50 million people around the world, including about 10 million here in China, the country with the largest number of AD patients. By 2050, the number of AD patients will reach 150 million globally, including more than a quarter, or 40 million, in China. In 2018, the global cost of treating and caring for AD patients hit trillions of dollars, heavily burdening patients and their families.

Despite the agonizing situation, there have been very few therapeutic drugs in the world since the discovery of AD more than 100 years ago. In the past more than 20 years, major pharmaceutical companies around the world have successively invested tens of millions of dollars in developing novel drugs for treating AD, but have seen limited progress and uncertain efficacy. Therefore, there has been a growing and pressing clinical need for effective AD drugs.

Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals has become an innovative enterprise with Chinese characteristics in the field of chronic diseases and complex diseases. In particular, under the leadership of Professor Geng Meiyu, her research team spent decades developing GV-971, a First-in-Class drug that was conditionally approved by the National Medical Products Administration. It brings not only good news to patients tortured by AD, but also one more option for clinical drug use.

The Chinese Pharmaceutical Association is a national-level association with a long history of 112 years. We have 62 members, more than 30 specialized committees, and 55 working committees, and undertake more than 100 national policy research projects. Notably, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Conference that we organize has become a major gathering and brandname event for pharmaceutical scientists. In recent years, under the leadership of organizations including the China Association for Science and Technology, our association has delivered solid achievements in areas like national consultation of new drugs, commercialization of sci-tech achievements, training of talent qualities, promotion of popular science, and advancement of academic and technical exchanges. Especially in the recent revision of the National Reimbursement Drug List, we played a very positive role in providing information support and expert consultation, and was selected as a 5A academic society by the China Association for Science and Technology. In short, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association is willing as well as obliged to make unremitting efforts for the healthy development of China's pharmaceutical industry.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Over the past 70 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, China's pharmaceutical industry has witnessed profound changes, people's living standards have been continuously improved, and the country’s medical and health industry and novel drug development have been comprehensively elevated. Here, I sincerely hope that the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals will develop and produce more and better innovative drugs in the near future, so as to benefit all mankind, serve a healthy China, and make greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

As 2020 is only three days away, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. I’d also like to wish this conference a complete success. Thank you all!

5.Du Guanhua, Party Secretary and Vice President of Chinese Pharmacological Society

Distinguished leaders, experts, colleagues and friends!

It’s a great pleasure to have the opportunity to witness the approval of GV-971 and the launch of its global strategy with all of you here today. On behalf of the Chinese Pharmacological Society, I would like to extend my congratulations on the market launch of GV-971 to the R&D team headed by Professor Geng Meiyu and all the colleagues who have contributed to the drug’s successful development!

This past June, our society’s Specialized Committee on Anti-Aging and AD Drug Pharmacology held its national annual meeting. At the event, Professor Xiao Shifu presented an overview of GV-971’s clinical studies. The presentation greatly interested and inspired attending pharmacologists, leading to a very positive impact.

Through such research, we realize that in such a challenging field as AD research, Chinese pharmacologists will deliver new breakthroughs. The approval of GV-971 is a milestone event both in the development of pharmacology and in China’s innovative drug research. Definitely, it is an epoch-making breakthrough.

For decades, the R&D team headed by Professor Geng Meiyu has carried out excellent research and persistent exploration on how to fight AD, a global conundrum. They challenged some traditional and well-recognized theoretical foundations, and creatively proposed the relationship between GV-971 and the gut-brain axis. The proposal of this relationship is a very important breakthrough for pharmacological research. For complex diseases and complex encephalopathies, especially geriatric diseases, it means that a new research direction has been proposed, a new research path has been explored, and new contributions have been made to novel drug R&D.

The success of GV-971 shows the rationality of this hypothesis. For scientific research, bold hypotheses are what pillars science, and careful validation is what manifests scientists’ work. Efforts to validate the hypothesis over the years have played an important role in advancing pharmacology.

Novel drug R&D is an important topic. For mankind, the pursuit of health is an eternal theme, and drug research is also a permanent task. China is attaching greater and greater importance to novel drug R&D, and in particular, the implementation of the national major sci-tech program for novel drug development has stimulated great enthusiasm in China’s novel drug R&D. Represented by GV-971, a batch of drugs with new structures and new mechanisms showcase the improvement of China’s overall drug research level, and GV-971’s anticipated launch in the global market also means that Chinese innovation will bring good news to the world.

Committed to pharmacological research, the Chinese Pharmacological Society is a national-level society approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs that unites pharmacologists across the country to jointly explore the mechanism of action of different drugs. Focusing on pharmacological research, our society has a mission to serve all Chinese pharmacologists.

Our society has 28 specialized committees, with one of them being the Specialized Committee on Anti-Aging and AD Drug Pharmacology, so it’s obvious that AD is one of our key focuses. The world has come to an agreement that AD is highly challenging for research, because diseases like AD not only inflict great pain on patients, but also bring great burden to families and society. Research in this field has attracted worldwide attention, and our society also closely follows relevant developments.

The launch of GV-971 has achieved a new breakthrough and a new leap forward in AD research. It also signifies that China’s novel drug development capacity and journey have entered a new stage and achieved a new leap forward.

Along the journey, the Chinese Pharmacological Society has always adhered to the basic laws of the development of pharmacology, which is about understanding drugs’ mechanism of action and role in treating diseases, so the proposal of the gut-brain axis is a completely new theory. Also, pharmacological research plays an important role in seeking new uses for old drugs. In that sense, pharmacological research not only advances scientific progress, but also promotes science-based, rational drug use, which is an important task of pharmacologists.

A more important task of pharmacological research is the research and development of novel drugs, which has always been a challenging topic. In novel drug R&D, pharmacology plays a key role all the way from drug discovery, clinical research to clinical application. Also, pharmacologists have to face issues like how to make this drug better and how to make this drug bring more benefits to mankind. We believe that through our efforts, we will provide more and better therapeutic options for mankind and patients.

AD is a global conundrum, but the market launch of GV-971 provides patients with a new treatment option. We expect that GV-971 can bring new benefits to patients in clinical practice, so that they can better recognize the world and enjoy a good life. Being patient-focused is what pharmacologists need to do. Through everyone's efforts, we believe that China's pharmaceutical industry will embrace better development. Therefore, I also look forward to great market performance after the launch of GV-971, so that it benefits the society, the patients, and all mankind.

As 2019 is about to end and 2020 is around the corner, I would like to wish all you a happy New Year in advance. I also wish that the research team will continue to work hard, to make patients, families and society happier.

Finally, I wish today’s conference a complete success. Thank you all!

6.Song Ruilin, Chairman of China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association

Distinguished leaders, experts, and colleagues!

It’s a great pleasure to be able to attend the Launch of GV-971’s Global Strategy. On behalf of the China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association, I’d like to extend our warmest congratulations to the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Green Valley Pharmaceuticals, and in particular, heart-felt respects to the R&D team headed by Professor Geng Meiyu!

Pharmaceutical innovation is a highly strategic task that concerns people’s livelihood in China, and improving the capacity for original innovation is a major challenge that China has to tackle. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to growing China’s capacity for pharmaceutical innovation. Especially in 2008, the country launched the national major sci-tech program for novel drug development, which has since then played an important leading role in advancing China’s pharmaceutical innovation.

The conditional approval of GV-971’s market launch is an important milestone event in the development of China's pharmaceutical innovation; a landmark achievement of China's implementation of the innovation-driven national strategy and the national program for novel drug development; and a typical fruit of China’s pharmaceutical innovation to move from following others, to running side by side with others, and then to leading others.

Through the approval of GV-971, we should be grateful for the great era we are in. Since 2015, China’s drug review and approval system has brought historic opportunities for the country's novel drug R&D and pharmaceutical innovation, and especially in October 2017, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued guidelines to deepen the reform of the drug review and approval system and encourage the development of medicines and medical devices, which greatly boosted China’s drug development. Based on the human-oriented principle, the reform clarified key measures such as accelerated review and conditional approval for innovative drugs that fill clinical gaps and meet major clinical needs. In other words, without this round of reform of the drug review and approval system, we wouldn’t be able to witness GV-971’s launch today.

Through the approval of GV-971, we should also thank Chinese pharmaceutical innovators represented by Professor Geng Meiyu, the clinical expert team represented by Prof. Zhang Zhenxin, and Green Valley Pharmaceuticals for their commitment and perseverance. It is precisely your unremitting efforts and unbending aspirations that have led to today’s achievements of GV-971’s R&D. You bring hope to the vast number of patients desperate for effective AD drugs, and make a voice of China in the global drug R&D community.

We should also salute China’s drug regulatory authorities, who are always concerned about the needs of patients. They dare to take responsibility along GV-971’s R&D journey, exercise the spirit of reform with practical actions, and help advance China's pharmaceutical innovation.

Scientific research is a process of constantly exploring the causal relationship between the occurrence and development of things, and using scientific methods to turn the impossible into the possible. In this process, continuous trial and error is required, and disputes and doubts not only are completely normal, but also should be part of scientific research. As an innovative drug with a completely new mechanism of action as well as the first innovative AD drug approved in both China and the world, it’s just normal for scientific debates and doubts to arise around GV-971.

However, scientific questions can only be answered with scientific arguments, rather than subjective inferences. We highly appreciate the development that GV-971 can announce its international multi-center clinical study just one month after its approval, as well as the upcoming post-launch Phase IV clinical study. This shows a highly responsible attitude towards both patients and science.

Innovation has never been a smooth journey. As a country driven by innovation, we need to not only provide a good policy environment for innovation, but also give the greatest tolerance for innovation from across the whole society. We need not only the spirit of daring to question, but also the spirit of celebrating the success of others. We need to applaud not only the innovation achievements, but also the innovators behind them. Once again, I wish GV-971’s international multi-center clinical study and Phase IV clinical study a complete success.

The China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association is an association that focuses on innovation, and pursues the industrialization and commercialization of innovation achievements. We are willing to work with GV-971’s R&D team to strive for greater results!

Thank you!

7.Li Jia, Director of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Distinguished academicians, leaders, experts, and colleagues from the medical community,

Good morning!

It makes me greatly delighted that so many friends have come from afar today to attend the first International Gut-Brain Axis Forum, to discuss the relationship between the gut-brain axis and Alzheimer's disease and other neurological diseases, and to witness the launch of global strategy for GV-971, China’s independently-developed AD drug. As the forum’s organizer, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your attendance!

Both the research on the pathogenesis of AD and the development of therapeutic drugs are global scientific conundrums. Staying mission-driven, innovative and pioneering over the past 22 years, Professor Geng Meiyu and her team have explored a path that no one else has ever traveled. In order to relieve the pain of patients and families, they went through ups and downs, worked day and night, and overcame great difficulties to research and develop GV-971. Today, as we’re celebrating the novel drug’s official market launch, I would like to pay heartfelt respects and congratulations to Professor Geng Meiyu and her team!

Many of the colleagues here today have joined us on GV-971’s R&D journey, long or short. Some of you have recorded details of every mouse and every experiment, some have provided key technical support to facilitate GV-971’s breakthrough, some have communicated patiently and carefully with each AD patient, and some have worked extra hard for the early approval of this China-developed novel drug. The market launch of GV-971 comes as the result of concerted efforts, united will, and win-win cooperation in all aspects; the effective integration of basic research, applied basic research and key technologies; the solid combination of the sci-tech innovation chain and industrial chain; and the materialization of win-win cooperation between universities, research institutes and enterprises. The launch of GV-971 also marks an important milestone in China’s novel drug research from imitative innovation to original innovation, and a significant achievement in revitalizing the biomedical industry and benefiting millions of patients.

Today, we are standing at a brand new starting point. As an original novel drug, GV-971 has put forward new challenges and topics for the research team, as programs like post-launch real-world study, international multi-center clinical study, study on mechanism of action, and study on expansion of indications will all be initiated. Difficulties and unknowns are obvious, yet the research of science and the exploration of truth are never-ending. I hope that all the experts and friends here today will continue to work together, support each other, and facilitate GV-971’s follow-up research by providing care, guidance and involvement.

As one of the parties involved in GV-971’s R&D, the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica has a solid foundation for novel drug research, a full-chain novel drug R&D system, a group of purpose-driven scientists, and a good cooperation model of openness, inclusiveness and shared achievement. I believe that along with the new opportunities brought by the launch of GV-971, the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica will, in the near future, surely have more original research results like GV-971. We are looking forward to that moment, and looking forward to cooperating with like-minded friends from sectors like basic research, clinical, and industry, to jointly become leaders of original innovation in China’s novel drug research and make more good drugs and new drugs that the Chinese people can afford.

Finally, on behalf of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, I would like to thank and congratulate our committed partner, Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals and its chairman, Mr. Lv Songtao. While our long-cherished mission will eventually benefit the whole world, the road ahead is still arduous. But as 2019 is coming to an end and a new decade is about to start, let’s work together to ensure a successful international multi-center clinical study, so that GV-971 can benefit the whole world as early as possible.

Thank you all!