Help with China's Pharmaceutical Dream（助力中国医药梦）

Ten years ago, Israeli biopharmaceutical expert Yehuda Zelig had no idea that he would forge an unbreakable bond with China, a country 6,000 kilometers away from his home, and dedicate himself to helping realize the Chinese dream of developing its own insulin.

Over the past decade, Zelig has helped Chinese companies overcome many difficulties in insulin R&D and production, breaking the monopoly of some foreign companies in the Chinese insulin market. He and his Chinese colleagues are looking for solutions to the world's problem of new insulin, in the belief that their research in China will bring more fruitful results. He was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2019.

Sharing is caring

After graduating from Tel Aviv University with a master's degree in life sciences, Zelig decided to pursue a career in biopharmaceuticals, which were at the forefront of the fight against certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. Over the next 20 years, his hard work gradually took him from R&D technician to R&D engineer, and then to senior executive positions in a number of internationally renowned biopharmaceutical companies.

In 2009, the chairman of a biotechnology company in Hefei met Zelig while visiting Israel, and the two hit it off. "Since then, I have been working in China, traveling between China and Israel nearly 10 times a year on average, hoping to introduce the most advanced insulin production technology to China," said Zelig.

Insulin products have high technical barriers, making the insulin industry a competitive field in which only a handful of technology companies who have mastered high-end gene recombination technology can participate. Since the early 1990s, China's insulin market has basically been monopolized by multinational companies, with product supply and pricing power in the hands of foreign parties. Therefore, developing insulin drugs has become a common dream for practitioners in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry.

"I don't want to keep this technology to myself. I am willing to share this technology with more people and benefit more Chinese people," said Zelig, adding that improving the quality of life for more people is what motivates him.

Typically, the development of an innovative drug takes decades and costs billions of dollars. Zelig's team brought internationally advanced insulin manufacturing technology to China, shortening the product development cycle and reducing capital investment. "It took us only seven years to set up a facility, which is a very short time," he said, adding his Chinese colleagues are quick learners.

Open minds drive pharmaceutical progress

Besides technology, Zelig also introduced his Chinese counterparts to Western pharmaceutical standards and regulations to facilitate international cooperation. "You have to understand not only the language of biotechnology, but also a lot of things like law and society," he said, adding that open-mindedness and mutual understanding play an increasingly important role in the modern world, where international cooperation provides an essential framework for addressing global challenges that transcend borders.

According to the WHO, the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. The prevalence of diabetes has been rising rapidly throughout the world.

Against this backdrop, harnessing the collective wisdom of people from different cultures in cutting-edge research is the way to go. "Integration between countries and people leads the way to great products in a more efficient way," said Zelig, adding that not isolating oneself in one's own lab and collaborating with other people are the basic principle of scientific research.

Zelig revealed that his team is currently working intensively on insulin, which he called "a global problem." According to him, the successful development of the new insulin medicine has a potential to significantly improve the quality of life for people with diabetes.

Source：Science and Technology Daily

Original link:http://www.stdaily.com/English/Service/202402/be93ad4b18a54d29850aec5f2fd290ca.shtm

助力中国医药梦

10年前，以色列生物制药专家尤大·奇力格（Yehuda Zelig）还不知道自己会与离家6000公里的中国结下牢不可破的纽带，并致力于帮助中国人开发自己的胰岛素。

在过去的十年里，奇力格帮助中国公司克服了胰岛素研发和生产方面的许多困难，打破部分外资企业在中国胰岛素市场的垄断。他和他的中国同事正在寻找解决世界新胰岛素问题的方法，相信他们在中国的研究将带来更丰硕的成果。他在2019年被授予中国政府友谊奖。

分享就是关爱

从特拉维夫大学获得生命科学硕士学位后，奇力格决定从事生物制药事业，这是对抗某些癌症和自身免疫性疾病的最前沿。在接下来的20年里，他辛勤工作，逐渐从研发技术员发展到研发工程师，再到多家国际知名生物制药公司的高管位置。

2009年，合肥一家生物技术公司的董事长在访问以色列时与奇力格会面，两人一拍即合。奇力格说：“从那以后，我一直在中国工作，平均每年在中国和以色列之间往返近10次，希望将最先进的胰岛素生产技术引进中国。”

因为胰岛素产品具有较高的技术壁垒，导致胰岛素行业成为只有少数掌握高端基因重组技术的科技公司才能参与的竞争领域。自20世纪90年代初以来，中国胰岛素市场基本上被跨国公司垄断，产品供应和定价权掌握在外方手中。因此，开发胰岛素药物已成为中国医药行业从业者的共同梦想。

奇力格说：“我不想把这项技术留给自己。我愿意与更多的人分享这项技术，让更多的中国人受益。”他补充说，提高更多人的生活质量是他的动力。

通常，一种新药物的开发需要几十年的时间，耗资数十亿美元。奇力格团队将国际先进的胰岛素制造技术带到中国，缩短了产品开发周期，减少了资金投入。“我们只花了七年时间就建成了生产设备，这是一个非常短的时间，”他说，并补充说他的中国同事学习很快。

开放的思想推动制药技术进步

除了技术，奇力格还向中国同行介绍了西方药品标准和法规，以促进国际合作。他说：“你不仅要理解生物技术的语言，还要理解很多东西，比如法律和社会。”他补充说，开放的思想和相互理解在现代世界发挥着越来越重要的作用，国际合作为应对跨越国界的全球挑战提供了一个重要框架。

根据世界卫生组织的数据，糖尿病患者人数从1980年的1.08亿增加到2014年的4.22亿。糖尿病的患病率在全世界范围迅速上升。

在这种背景下，利用来自不同文化背景的人们的集体智慧进行前沿研究是一条路。奇力格说：“国家和人民之间的融合以更有效的方式带来了伟大的产品。”他补充说，不把自己孤立在自己的实验室里，与他人合作是科学研究的基本原则。

奇力格透露，他的团队目前正在深入研究胰岛素，他称之为“一个全球性问题”。据他说，新型胰岛素药物的成功开发有可能显著提高糖尿病患者的生活质量。

来源：科技日报

网址链接：http://www.stdaily.com/English/Service/202402/be93ad4b18a54d29850aec5f2fd290ca.shtm