Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Novartis broke ground on Thursday for its manufacturing and R&D center in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. It is the first active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) export base built by a multinational pharmaceutical giant in China, reports the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post.

Jeffrey Lee, president of Novartis China, said all the API will be exported to support the laboratory drug development in Europe and the US. The Suzhou plant will also produce pharmaceutical intermediates which will be used on innovative drugs for leukaemia and hypertension. "It is an important part of Novartis' global operation and supply chain," said Lee.

The initial investment on the base will reach 83 million US dollars. It will be operational by the end of 2007. The total investment will exceed 100 million US dollars.

Novartis will also extend its plant in Changping in the suburb of Beijing.

Last year, Novartis achieved 1.97 billion yuan of sales in China, rising by 26.6 percent.

By People's Daily Online