Together We Build a Malaria-Free World: Fosun Receives IP SHANGHAI Global Communications Corporate Case Best Practice Award

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Nov 09, 2022, 03:20 ET

HONG KONG, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On 8 November 2022, we received good news from the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE): the 1st In Shanghai, For the World has announced the recipients of the IP SHANGHAI Global Communications Corporate Case Best Practice Award. The organizing committee awarded Fosun International the IP SHANGHAI Global Communications Corporate Case Best Practice Award, in recognition of Fosun International's outstanding practices in global public health, including anti-malaria and anti-epidemic efforts.

This is China's first large-scale global communications corporate case event themed on urban IP. The event was organized by IP SHANGHAI and the Global Communications Case Management Platform of Shanghai International Studies University and was supported by the Shanghai Daily Multinational Companies Club.

As an enterprise rooted in Shanghai, China, Fosun has always been devoting itself to public health with its innovative products and global resources. Over the years, it has participated in anti-malarial campaigns in China and around the world, and has organized a series of public welfare activities with its global member companies to raise awareness and importance of malaria prevention and control around the world.

Self-developed and Manufactured Artesuante for Injection to Build a Malaria-free World

According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2020, there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide and 627,000 malaria-related deaths in the world. Among which, 95% of the cases and 96% of malaria-related deaths occurred in Africa, with about 80% being children under the age of five.

In the 1970s, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou first developed a new technology to extract artemisinin from ether. Based on this technology, a series of new antimalarial drugs, including China No. X-01 artesunate, was developed, which innovatively advanced the fight against malaria.

On 21 December 2005, artesunate tablet innovated by Fosun Pharma became the first pharmaceutical product prequalified by WHO (WHO-PQ), representing a breakthrough for the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. In 2011, Artesun®, artesunate for injection, which was self-developed and manufactured by Fosun Pharma, was recommended by the WHO as a first-line treatment of severe malaria. By the end of 2021, it has been used to treat over 48 million severe malaria patients worldwide.

Fosun has been working unremittingly to support the global fight against malaria. In April 2021, Fosun Foundation responded actively to the "Zero Malaria Starts with Me" campaign initiated by the WHO and the "Roll Back Malaria Partnership". Slogans, "Zero Malaria Starts with Me" and "Together We Build a Malaria-free World", were displayed on the advertising screens of Fosun's landmark buildings, including the Bund Finance Center in Shanghai, 28 Liberty in New York, EN Hotel Kyoto and EN Hotel Hiroshima in Japan, Atlantis Sanya, the Bund Fosun Center in Wuhan.

The English Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers FC players made a video to call on everyone to take malaria prevention and control measures seriously and emphasize that malaria prevention and control is as important as taking good precautionary measures against COVID-19. Fosun Foundation and Fosun Pharma organized the "Draw a Malaria-free World" drawing competition at the Beacon International School in Ghana to educate children about malaria prevention and environmental protection. Fosun carried out a series of public welfare activities to call on the public to work together to fight against malaria.

Using Chinese Antimalarial Drugs in Africa to Help More People

In order to achieve the ultimate goal of building a malaria-free world, Fosuner, Cyrus Baidoo, has gone to the front line in Africa, where malaria is the most serious, and helped and cured many malaria patients with Chinese antimalarial drugs.

Cyrus Baidoo is the Marketing Manager of Fosun Pharma Sub-Saharan Africa. He visits many local hospitals every day to promote Chinese antimalarial drugs to doctors and patients. Many years ago, Cyrus worked in a world-renowned pharmaceutical company before joining Fosun. "A lot of my friends did not understand why I left an American company for a Chinese company. They said the company is too new and barely has any products," recalls Cyrus.

From being unfamiliar with and distrusting Chinese companies to now, where Fosun Pharma has become a global leader in malaria drugs and one of the most influential Chinese pharmaceutical brands in Africa, Cyrus witnessed the rapid development of Fosun Pharma in the field of antimalarial drugs. As of January 2022, Guilin Pharma, a subsidiary of Fosun Pharma, has a total of 30 antimalarial products prequalified by WHO (WHO-PQ), including 26 finished dosage forms and four APIs, making Fosun Pharma the leading antimalarial drug manufacturer with the most certifications.

In August 2018, Fosun Pharma's SPAQ-CO® Disp (co-packed sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine dispersible tablets and amodiaquine dispersible tablets), which indicated for the prevention of malaria in children, was pre-qualified by WHO (WHO-PQ). By the end of 2021, around 175 million children in high malaria transmission African countries had benefited from the "Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Program", for which SPAQ-CO® Disp is used as the core drug to effectively reduce the morbidity of malaria in children under five years old in Africa.

Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun International, said, "As a partner in the fight against malaria for China and the world, Fosun consistently commits to providing more cutting-edge solutions such as innovative medicinal products and global resources for malaria management and control. We will join forces and resources, and work together with malaria scientists as well as healthcare professionals to continue to carry out malaria education projects for the public, so as to leverage people's awareness of malaria prevention. We will actively participate in public health improvement and make steady efforts to build a malaria-free world."

In Shanghai, For the World. Thirty years after its establishment, Fosun will continue to uphold the original aspiration of "Self-improvement, Teamwork, Performance, and Contribution to Society", devote itself to global public health and public welfare undertakings, and provide innovative products and services to create happier lives for families worldwide.

SOURCE Fosun