ZhenGe Biotech is what is known as a Contract Development & Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) – a company that provides services to more than 100 other pharmaceutical companies. Specifically, it is involved in the development and production of biological drugs. The rapidly-growing pharma player has offices in Shanghai, China, and Maryland, USA, and recently raised more than €90 million from a series of investors. In recent years, ZhenGe has primarily built up expertise in various forms of biological agents such as monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, which are essential for treating a wide range of diseases. The company currently employs around 600 people.  

€1 million
ZhenGe Biotech had planned to expand into Europe for some time, and has now expressly opted for Limburg. The company will start up its European branch on a small scale with around five employees, and initially aims to gain an insight into the Belgian market in particular, with a view to starting up a new production unit. To this end, the company is investing €1 million in Limburg. CEO Jianxin Chen: “Belgium is located in the heart of the European market, with access to all the major economies and a highly skilled, language-proficient workforce. But the fact that our global partner Amador Bioscience is based here is also an important factor. Expansion into the European market means a lot of growth potential for our company. We would therefore especially like to thank POM Limburg for the support and guidance we have received so far in setting up our Belgian branch.” The agreement for the branch was signed at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, where POM Limburg joined the delegation of Flanders Investment & Trade and flanders.bio.    

Strong ecosystem
The arrival of ZhenGe is a perfect match with the ecosystem that POM Limburg is building on the Health Campus. Tom Vandeput, Deputy for the Economy and Chairman of POM Limburg: “Thanks to assets such as the arrival of global player Amador Bioscience and the University of Hasselt’s solid reputation in the field of biostatistics and biomedical science, the 5th promising company has now confirmed it will set up on campus – the second international pharma player to do so. These companies don’t just choose to go anywhere. The innovative environment we are creating, and the strong ecosystem around healthcare we are building on the Health Campus, play a crucial role in this regard. As a service-providing pharmaceutical company, ZhenGe perfectly complements the ecosystem. Their arrival is yet another confirmation of the campus’ standing, in Flanders and beyond.” In 2023, incubator BioVille will already expand by 2,000 m2, and POM Limburg has also confirmed it will develop an additional 15,000 m2 of commercial space for the life sciences sector on the Health Campus by 2024.