Dr. Xu Yuan and Dr. Larry Lin from the headquarters of Merck & Co., USA, one of the top 5 drugmakers in the world, witnessed on the scene the defining moment when Zhongshan-based Akeso Biopharma signed a cooperative deal with New Jewsey-based Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ, USA yesterday morning. The cooperation involves Akeso authorizing Merckto to produce the monoclonal antibody that Akeso independently developed. Vice mayor Xie Zhongfan attended the ceremony.

Akeso Biopharma is an innovative biotechnology company headquartered at National Health Technology Park of Zhongshan Torch Development Zone in Guangdong province. Founded in March 2012 by a group of entrepreneurial returnees and led by Dr. Xia Yu, a member of China’s 1000 Talents Program, Akeso is focusing on discovering and developing innovative biologics with international intellectual rights for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases.