To implement the important directives of General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic emerging industry vital to the national economy, people’s livelihoods, and national security, as well as the decisions and arrangements concerning the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry made at the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 12th Provincial Party Committee and the Sixth and Seventh Plenary Sessions of the 9th Municipal Party Committee; to promote the high-quality development of Luzhou’s pharmaceutical and healthcare industry; and to accelerate the construction of a national regional pharmaceutical and healthcare center, in accordance withthe "Decision of the CPC Luzhou Municipal Committee on Deepening the Advancement of New Industrialization to Serve the Construction of the Provincial Modern Industrial System" and the "Notice of the Luzhou Municipal People’s Government on Issuing the Action Plan for Quality Improvement and Doubling of Luzhou’s Six Major Industrial Sectors (2022–2027)" (Luzhou Municipal Government Document [2023] No. 13), and in light of Luzhou’s actual conditions, these policy measures are hereby formulated.
I. Enhancing R&D Capabilities
(1) Pharmaceuticals.
Rewards will be provided in stages based on R&D progress:
1. Innovative biological products, innovative chemical drugs, and innovative traditional Chinese medicines: A one-time reward of 1 million yuan, 2 million yuan, 4 million yuan, and 7 million yuan will be granted, respectively, for completing preclinical research and obtaining a clinical trial acceptance number or tacit approval for clinical trials; completing Phase I clinical trials and entering Phase II clinical trials; completing Phase II clinical trials and entering Phase III clinical trials; and completing Phase III clinical trials and obtaining a registration approval.The annual reward for a single enterprise under this provision shall not exceed 7 million yuan. (Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent, Municipal Health Commission)
2. Improved Biologics, Improved Chemical Drugs, and Improved Traditional Chinese Medicines: One-time rewards of 500,000 yuan, 1,000,000 yuan, 2,000,000 yuan, and 4,000,000 yuan will be granted, respectively, for completing preclinical studies and obtaining a clinical trial acceptance number or default clinical approval in the current year; completing Phase I clinical trials and advancing to Phase II clinical trials; completing Phase II clinical trials and advancing to Phase III clinical trials; and completing Phase III clinical trials and obtaining a registration approval.The annual reward for a single enterprise under this provision shall not exceed 4 million yuan. (Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent, Municipal Health Commission)
3. For generic drugs, biosimilars, and traditional Chinese medicine compound preparations based on ancient classic formulas for which an enterprise has newly obtained a registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration, a one-time reward of 3 million yuan will be granted for each product. For generic drugs for which an enterprise has already obtained a registration certificate but has subsequently passed the consistency evaluation for quality and efficacy and reobtained the registration certificate, a one-time reward of 1.5 million yuan will be granted for each product. Under this provision, the annual reward for a single enterprise shall not exceed 3 million yuan.(Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent, Municipal Health Commission)
(2) Medical Devices. For Class III medical devices that have newly obtained a registration certificate through the national-level special review procedure for innovative medical devices, a one-time reward of 1 million yuan will be granted for each product; for other newly obtained Class II and Class III medical device certificates (excluding Class II diagnostic reagents and equipment components), one-time rewards of 300,000 yuan and 600,000 yuan, respectively, will be granted for each product. Under this provision, the annual reward for a single enterprise shall not exceed 1.5 million yuan.(Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent, Municipal Health Commission)
(3) Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Excipients. For APIs and excipients (with a status of "A") obtaining a registration number for the first time, a one-time reward of 1 million yuan and 200,000 yuan, respectively, will be granted to the registrant; for new cosmetic ingredients registered for the first time and included in China’s list of cosmetic ingredients in use, a one-time reward of 500,000 yuan will be granted per item upon approval; the annual reward for a single enterprise shall not exceed 1 million yuan.(Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent)
(4) In-house Preparations. Medical institutions are encouraged to complete the filing of in-house preparations with the Provincial Drug Administration. Upon completion of the filing, a one-time reward of 100,000 yuan will be granted for each individual product. Medical institutions that newly transfer intellectual property rights for in-house preparations to pharmaceutical enterprises for use in new drug R&D will receive a reward equivalent to 30% of the actual transaction amount received under the contract, with a maximum reward of 3 million yuan per product. (Lead Department: Municipal Health Commission; Responsible Units: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau)
(5) Health Products. For newly obtained approval numbers for health foods, foods for special medical purposes, infant formula, and cosmetics for special purposes, a one-time reward of 500,000 yuan will be granted for each approval number upon verification. (Lead Department: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Health Commission)
II. Support for Platform Development
(6) Public Service Platforms. Accelerate the cultivation and introduction of industrial application platforms such as Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs).Support the construction of industrial public service platforms such as public analysis and testing centers, new drug evaluation research centers, pilot-scale formulation centers, and laboratory animal resource research centers. Entities that obtain national Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification for the first time, covering 3 major categories or 5 major categories (excluding cases subject to “case-by-case review”), will be granted one-time rewards of 3 million yuan and 5 million yuan, respectively.(Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent). A one-time reward of 500,000 yuan will be granted to entities newly obtaining Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certification; an additional one-time reward of 100,000 yuan will be granted for each newly registered specialty in which operations are conducted;For GCP-certified entities in our city providing clinical trial services to local pharmaceutical enterprises, a one-time reward of up to 200,000 yuan will be granted to the lead entity and 100,000 yuan to participating entities for each service project, with an annual reward cap of 500,000 yuan per GCP-certified entity. (Lead Agency: Municipal Health Commission; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau)
(7) Technology R&D Platforms. Newly recognized or approved national-level and provincial-level manufacturing innovation centers will receive subsidies of 5 million yuan and 2 million yuan, respectively. Newly recognized national-level and provincial-level enterprise technology centers will receive subsidies of 1 million yuan and 200,000 yuan, respectively.Newly recognized national and provincial industrial design centers and industrial technology infrastructure public service platforms will receive subsidies of 500,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan, respectively. Newly approved national and provincial key laboratories will receive subsidies of 3 million yuan and 500,000 yuan, respectively; national and provincial technology innovation centers will receive subsidies of 3 million yuan and 1 million yuan, respectively; and provincial engineering technology research centers will receive subsidies of 500,000 yuan. Support will be provided for the establishment of academician expert workstations and postdoctoral workstations.We encourage research platforms established by universities, research institutes, and other institutions to open their resources for external sharing and make them available to pharmaceutical enterprises in our city. Upon certification, a reward of 10% of the contract value for services provided to pharmaceutical enterprises will be granted (provided there is no investment relationship between the two parties), with a maximum annual reward of 300,000 yuan per platform.Enterprises are encouraged to collaborate with universities and research institutions to jointly tackle key technological challenges and co-build R&D platforms. Newly established municipal-level key laboratories and engineering (technology) research centers will receive a one-time reward of 400,000 yuan upon certification. (Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Science, Technology, and Talent; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Party Committee Talent Office, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security)
III. Accelerating Enterprise Development
(8) Chinese Herbal Medicine Cultivation.The establishment of standardized Chinese herbal medicine production bases is encouraged to create “customized medicinal gardens.” A selection of “customized medicinal gardens” will be conducted annually. New types of Chinese herbal medicine production entities that have production bases and primary processing facilities in Luzhou and demonstrate outstanding achievements in developing “customized medicinal gardens” will be granted one-time rewards of 30,000 yuan, 60,000 yuan, and 150,000 yuan, respectively, based on order fulfillment scales of 100 mu, 500 mu, and 1,000 mu or more.Enterprises newly certified under the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Chinese herbal medicines will receive a one-time reward of 200,000 yuan; for Chinese herbal medicines newly certified as Geographical Indication (GI) products, a one-time reward of 200,000 yuan will be granted per variety; and for Chinese medicine manufacturers newly registered with the Sichuan-produced authentic herbal medicine variety filing system, a one-time reward of 300,000 yuan will be granted per variety. (Lead Agency: Municipal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Municipal Bureau of Forestry and Bamboo Industry, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau)
(9) Market Expansion. For Class II medical devices, Class III medical devices, active pharmaceutical ingredients (including Chinese herbal extracts),traditional Chinese patent medicines, chemical preparations, and biological preparations that have obtained overseas marketing authorization from agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and have achieved sales in foreign markets, shall be granted one-time rewards of 100,000 yuan, 200,000 yuan, 300,000 yuan, 400,000 yuan, 500,000 yuan, and 1,000,000 yuan per product, respectively. For products listed in the "Sichuan Provincial Guidance Catalog for the Promotion and Application of Major Technical Equipment, First-of-a-Kind Sets, New Materials, First Batches, and First Versions of Software," a sales incentive of up to 5% of the product sales contract value in the first year following certification shall be provided, with a maximum of 1,000,000 yuan per product.If both the developer and the user are located within the city, 20% of the incentive funds will be awarded to the developer, and 80% will be allocated to the user based on the volume of procurement. The developer shall take the lead in jointly applying with the user through the appropriate administrative levels in accordance with the principle of territorial management; if the developer is located within the city but the user is outside the city, 20% of the incentive funds will be awarded to the developer, and the developer shall apply through the appropriate administrative levels in accordance with the principle of territorial management.(Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Exhibitions, Municipal Bureau of Economic Cooperation and Foreign Affairs)
(10) Support for Contract Manufacturing. For marketing authorization holders who commission local pharmaceutical enterprises to manufacture their products, which are then sold externally from our city, a one-time reward of 100,000 yuan will be granted to the commissioning party if the annual sales revenue of a single product variety (specification) exceeds 5 million yuan; a one-time reward of 200,000 yuan will be granted if the annual sales revenue of a single product variety (specification) exceeds 10 million yuan.(Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Economic Cooperation and Foreign Affairs)
(11) Project Support. Support will be provided for various science and technology projects submitted by pharmaceutical enterprises. For projects that secure special funding from provincial-level or higher science and technology programs, a reward equal to 20% of the special funding received will be granted for use in scientific research and technology commercialization, with a maximum reward of 1 million yuan per project. (Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Science, Technology, and Talent; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology)
(12) Technological Upgrades. Support will be provided for technological upgrades by pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises. For pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises with fixed-asset investments ranging from 5 million to 20 million yuan, a subsidy of 3% of the actual funds invested in facility and equipment upgrades will be granted.Technical upgrades exceeding 20 million yuan shall be implemented in accordance with the “Notice of the Luzhou Municipal People’s Government on Issuing the ‘Several Policy Measures to Support the Quality Improvement and Doubling of the Six Major Industrial Sectors and Deepen the Advancement of New Industrialization’” (Luzhou Municipal Government Regulation [2023] No. 5). Support will be provided for enterprises to carry out digital and intelligent technical upgrades; newly approved national and provincial pilot demonstration enterprises (projects) will be granted subsidies of 1 million yuan and 500,000 yuan, respectively.Enterprises designated as national-level energy efficiency leaders or provincial-level energy-saving and carbon-reduction benchmark enterprises shall receive awards and subsidies of 1 million yuan and 500,000 yuan, respectively. Enterprises designated as national-level or provincial-level green manufacturing demonstration units shall receive awards and subsidies of 500,000 yuan and 300,000 yuan, respectively. (Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Responsible Agency: Municipal Health Commission)
(13) Talent Incentives. For full-time recruited or cultivated national-level talents, or research personnel with an annual salary of 3 million yuan or more, an annual subsidy of up to 200,000 yuan will be provided, not exceeding 6% of the contracted annual salary. For enterprises that flexibly recruit high-level talents with a single remuneration of 100,000 yuan or more, funding of up to 200,000 yuan will be provided, not exceeding 20% of the total remuneration.Full-time doctoral graduates and professionals with senior professional titles who are urgently needed and have made contributions to Luzhou will, upon verification, receive a monthly living allowance of 2,000 yuan for three years. Postdoctoral researchers will receive a monthly living allowance of 2,000 yuan and a monthly housing subsidy of 1,500 yuan. Postdoctoral researchers who remain in Luzhou for continuous employment for one year or more after completing their postdoctoral program will each receive a 200,000 yuan reward.For newly recruited or newly awarded recipients of the China Skills Grand Prize, National Master Craftsmen, National Technical Experts, Senior Technicians, Chief Technicians, and Sichuan Craftsmen, monthly living allowances of 5,000 yuan, 3,000 yuan, and 1,000 yuan, respectively, will be provided for three years. Holders of scientific and technological achievements in our city are encouraged to commercialize their innovations locally; a reward of 10% of the actual transaction amount received under the technology contract will be granted, with a cap of 1 million yuan per product.(Lead Agency: Municipal Party Committee Talent Office; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent, Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security).
(14) Financial Services. Enterprises are encouraged to engage in capital operations such as listing on stock exchanges, going public, and raising funds. For enterprises conducting an initial public offering (IPO), cumulative funding of 5 million yuan will be provided in stages, with specific implementation following the "Implementation Opinions of the Luzhou Municipal People’s Government on Promoting the Improvement of Listed Company Quality" (Luzhou Municipal Government Regulation [2022] No. 1).Local pharmaceutical and healthcare enterprises that receive investment from private equity funds (excluding the Luzhou Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry Development Fund) will be granted a one-time reward equivalent to 1% of the actual investment amount, with an annual reward not exceeding 500,000 yuan per enterprise. Financial institutions, particularly those specializing in technology finance, are encouraged to support the development of pharmaceutical and healthcare enterprises. They should provide pledge financing and loan services for new patents resulting from technological innovation and breakthroughs in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, and comprehensively utilize various financing models such as financing guarantees and financial leasing (including medical equipment leasing services).For pharmaceutical enterprises that are “chain-leading” enterprises, provincial-level or higher “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” enterprises, or high-tech enterprises that have newly obtained production and operation loans during the year, loan interest subsidies will be provided based on the proportional growth of indicators such as operating revenue. The subsidy will be calculated at 30% of the one-year Loan Prime Rate (LPR) in January of the current year; if the actual interest rate is lower than 30% of the one-year LPR, the actual rate shall prevail.The interest subsidy for a single enterprise shall not exceed 200,000 yuan. (Lead Agency: Municipal Financial Work Bureau; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Exhibitions, People’s Bank of China Luzhou Branch, Luzhou Regulatory Sub-bureau of the National Financial Supervisory Administration)
(15) Encourage enterprises to excel and grow stronger. Newly recognized national-level leading manufacturing enterprises and provincial-level leading manufacturing enterprises will be awarded 3 million yuan and 1 million yuan, respectively.Newly recognized national manufacturing single-champion enterprises (products), specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative “Little Giant” enterprises, and provincial specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative SMEs will be awarded 2 million yuan, 500,000 yuan, and 200,000 yuan, respectively. Newly registered provincial gazelle enterprises will receive a subsidy of 300,000 yuan. (Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent)
IV. Improving Supporting Policies
(16) Establish a Medical and Health Industry Fund. Establish a medical and health industry development fund to primarily invest in high-quality technology transfer projects, technology talent entrepreneurship projects, investment promotion projects, and local enterprise cultivation projects within and outside Luzhou City.Investments will focus on innovative drugs, high-end generic drugs, modern traditional Chinese medicine, biotechnology drugs, nuclear medicine, diagnostic testing, medical devices, instruments, and high-end medical consumables, while appropriately expanding into the broader health sector, including the cultivation and breeding of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, as well as consumer healthcare, wellness, and medical aesthetics. This will promote the high-quality development of our city’s pharmaceutical and health industry.(Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Exhibitions, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Municipal Financial Work Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Economic Cooperation and Foreign Affairs, Municipal Bureau of Forestry and Bamboo Industry)
(17) Strengthen Investment Attraction Services. For successfully leading the introduction and establishment of upstream and downstream industrial enterprises with strong industrial chain relevance, a reward will be granted to the industrial enterprise responsible for the introduction based on the actual amount of fixed-asset investment funds received. For actual fixed-asset investments of 20 million yuan (inclusive) or more but less than 50 million yuan (inclusive), a base reward of 100,000 yuan will be provided, plus a cumulative reward of 1‰ of the actual completed fixed-asset investment;For actual fixed-asset investments of 50 million yuan (exclusive) or more but less than or equal to 100 million yuan, a base reward of 150,000 yuan shall be granted, plus a cumulative reward of 2‰ of the portion of the actual fixed-asset investment exceeding 50 million yuan; for actual fixed-asset investments of 100 million yuan (exclusive) or more, a base reward of 200,000 yuan shall be granted, plus a cumulative reward of 3‰ of the portion of the actual fixed-asset investment exceeding 100 million yuan.The reward amount for a single project shall not exceed 1.5 million yuan. (Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economic Cooperation and Foreign Affairs; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Statistics)
(18) Optimize Review and Approval Processes. Establish the Luzhou Branch of the Sichuan Provincial Food and Drug Review and Evaluation Center and the Luzhou Municipal Medical and Health Industry Review and Evaluation Service Center. Implement a “key project tracking system” for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, create a list of product categories, designate dedicated task forces, and provide “one-on-one” full-process services covering R&D, testing and inspection, clinical trials, registration, and production and market launch; strengthen efforts to secure support from higher-level authorities and establish a green channel for eligible enterprises applying for new drugs and innovative medical devices.(Lead Agency: Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; Responsible Departments: Municipal Health Commission)
(19) Coordinate and Integrate Resources. Pool high-end talent and intellectual resources by inviting industry experts, entrepreneurs, investment and financing specialists, and policy experts in the pharmaceutical and health sector to participate in the development of the industry, and establish an Expert Advisory Committee for the Pharmaceutical and Health Industry. Integrate resources across various sectors and mobilize all relevant parties to carry out supply chain coordination, technological innovation collaboration, industry analysis and research, decision-making advisory services, as well as organize exchange and training programs, high-end exhibitions, and large-scale forum events.Recognize, at appropriate times, groups and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. (Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and Talent, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Economic Cooperation and Foreign Affairs)
(20) Coordinated Development of the “Six Medical Sectors.” Building on Luzhou’s resource endowments and solid foundation, we will prioritize strengths and pursue distinctive development to vigorously advance the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry. We will continuously improve medical standards and service capabilities, implement medical informatization upgrade projects, and establish high-level regional medical centers.Support medical and health-related institutions in pursuing a path of high-quality, substance-driven development; continue to strengthen leading disciplines, build scientific and technological innovation platforms, and cultivate medical talent to continuously improve the overall level of medical education. Effectively integrate and leverage Luzhou’s high-quality medical, health and wellness, and cultural tourism resources to build a high-quality regional medical and elderly care center. Support the group-based development of medical aesthetics institutions to foster a number of distinctive brands. Actively improve medical insurance services. Establish an integrated development framework encompassing “pharmaceuticals, medical care, medical education, medical and elderly care, medical aesthetics, and medical insurance.”(Lead Agency: Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Responsible Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Economic Cooperation and Foreign Affairs, Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau)
These policy measures serve as a supplement and refinement to relevant documents such as Luzhou Municipal Government Regulation [2023] No. 5, the “Notice of the Luzhou Municipal People’s Government on Issuing Several Policies to Further Support Scientific and Technological Innovation” (Luzhou Municipal Government Document [2021] No. 25),the “Notice of the Talent Work Leading Group of the CPC Luzhou Municipal Committee on Issuing the ‘Several Policies for Accelerating the “Wine City Talent Aggregation Initiative” in Luzhou’” (Luzhou Municipal Committee Talent Work [2023] No. 4), and other relevant documents. It applies to enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, private non-enterprise entities, and other independent legal entities engaged in the fields of pharmaceuticals (including active pharmaceutical ingredients and pharmaceutical intermediates),special medical foods, health foods, cosmetics, medical devices, and related products (pharmaceutical excipients, pharmaceutical packaging materials, pharmaceutical machinery, and testing instruments), and that conduct R&D, production, distribution, or service activities within our city. Among these, products newly developed or newly approved for registration by relevant national authorities must commence production in our city.Districts, counties, and industrial parks shall formulate supporting policies based on local conditions. For new projects and products that demonstrate outstanding effectiveness and significant contributions in supporting and leading the development of the city’s pharmaceutical and health industry, awards and subsidies may be granted on a case-by-case basis.The total annual funding for any single enterprise under these policy measures shall not exceed 10 million yuan. All amounts are denominated in RMB and are pre-tax figures. Terms such as “or more” and “not exceeding” include the specified amount, while “less than” and “or less” exclude the specified amount. In the event of overlap or conflict between these policy measures and other similar municipal policies, the principle of “selecting the most favorable, applying the higher amount, and avoiding duplication” shall apply.
These policy measures shall take effect on April 18, 2024, and remain valid for four years.
