Shenzhen unveils 32 measures to boost pharma and medtech development

The Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, in collaboration with the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, the Market Regulation Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, the Healthcare Security Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and other relevant departments, recently issued the Measures for Comprehensive Support of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Development in Shenzhen. The initiative aims to vigorously promote the pharmaceutical and medical device R&D economy by providing full-chain support to accelerate the industry’s growth and enhance its overall competitiveness.

A total of 32 targeted measures were introduced, covering nine key areas: research and innovation, artificial intelligence applications, clinical trials, registration and approval processes, manufacturing, product promotion and application, global market expansion, talent and financial empowerment, and investment promotion.

Focusing on the entire value chain of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, the measures cover emerging technologies, new sectors, and innovative business models. Specific, full-chain support strategies are proposed for rapidly evolving areas such as AI-powered drug and device development, biomanufacturing, cell and gene therapy, veterinary medicine and devices, orphan drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, and the internationalization of medical and pharmaceutical products.

To strongly promote the application of AI in biomanufacturing and the R&D of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, Shenzhen is supporting the development of major public service platforms and key industrial projects centered on AI-assisted research.

The measures focus on critical stages of drug development—such as novel target identification and validation, drug discovery and design, advanced screening of new medicines, and simulation-based safety assessments. The city aimsto accelerate innovation in cutting-edge technologies including large AI models, core algorithms, and specialized software. Key areas of support include the establishment of major AI-powered public service platforms and industrial projects for high-throughput drug screening, next-generation antibody drug discovery, intelligent synthesis of small-molecule drugs, R&D and smart diagnostics in traditional Chinese medicine, AI-driven medical device development, and intelligent clinical trial management.

Additionally, the measures encourage the full-chain and scenario-based application of AI in biomanufacturing. It supports the construction of major public platforms related to AI-enabled biomanufacturing, covering areas such as chassis cell engineering, enzyme development, and precision fermentation.

The measures also foster the growth of new business models that integrate AI into biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical/medical device R&D. Enterprises are encouraged to collaborate with AI-driven service platforms in developing biomanufacturing technologies—such as enhancing gene editing efficiency, optimizing metabolic pathways, and designing proteins—and in pharmaceutical innovation tasks such as function prediction, gene editing design, vector construction, and automated high-throughput screening. Support is also extended to the development of intelligent medical equipment and independent medical software. Companies that outsource R&D projects in these fields may receive subsidies covering up to 15% of their contract costs, capped at 2 million yuan per company per year.

Moreover, the new policy offers comprehensive support for pharmaceutical innovation and the introduction of new drugs. It prioritizes key areas including nucleic acid drugs, protein and peptide drugs, cell therapies, microbiome-based therapies, small-molecule innovations, and modern traditional Chinese medicine. A number of groundbreaking drug innovations will be introduced or cultivated.

For Class I innovative drugs that complete clinical trials and receive market approval, the city will provide significant financial incentives for each clinical phase: up to 10 million yuan for Phase I trials, 20 million yuan for Phase II, and 30 million yuan for Phase III.