China Medical System (CMS) to invest up to £25 million to support early stage biotech firms in the UK with a Cambridge focus

CMS, a speciality pharmaceutical company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has signalled its confidence in the UK biotech and life sciences sectors through intended investment in early stage UK biotech and life sciences businesses, with support from AstraZeneca and Cambridge Judge Business School.

China Medical System is recognising the vibrancy and the vitality of the UK biotech and life sciences ecosystem, through financing a programme office based in Cambridge (UK) to invest (off balance sheet) up to £25 million in biotech and life sciences startups in the UK over the next five years.

Since 2015, AstraZeneca has played a role in mentoring biotech and life sciences researchers and innovators and has collaborated with Cambridge Judge Business School on various programmes to promote enterprise and support entrepreneurship amongst life sciences researchers and students.

In the last four years, Cambridge Judge Business School and AstraZeneca have supported around 250 life science innovators and 40 life sciences startups through workshops, training, and mentoring.

Through this new collaboration agreement, CMS, AstraZeneca and Cambridge Judge Business School demonstrate a common objective of strengthening the pipeline of opportunities in biotech and life sciences, more specifically in the areas of therapeutics, diagnostics, devices and digital health.

The initiative aims to bridge a gap in funding for early stage biotech and life sciences ventures in the UK, and provide relevant companies with greater access to international markets in particular China.

Background

Cambridge Judge Business School, through various programmes including its work with AstraZeneca, has established networks and relationships in the life science and med-tech space in Cambridge and elsewhere in the UK.

AstraZeneca have a strong desire to support the identification of early-stage companies by evaluating, coaching, mentoring and advising these companies in order to promote the life science ecosystem in Cambridge and across the wider UK.

China Medical System, with the support of a programme office, has the resources to provide seed investment capital to these early-stage companies.