China's Biotech Breakthrough in Synthesizing Human Serum Albumin for Improved Healthcare

A biopharmaceutical company in Wuhan has developed a method to synthesize human serum albumin (HSA) from rice. This breakthrough offers a potential solution to China's shortage of this vital blood protein. The technology has advanced significantly, with products having completed clinical trials and now undergoing new drug approval. Production is expanding to meet growing demand.

The company, Healthgen Biotechnology, utilizes genetic engineering to transform rice into a medium for HSA production. According to reports, 50 kilograms of rice can yield an amount of HSA comparable to that extracted from 5 liters of human plasma. The rice-derived HSA has successfully completed Phase III clinical trials.

The company has established an intelligent factory with an annual production capacity of 1 million injections. Furthermore, a larger production base is under construction, aiming to produce 12 million injections annually. Plant-based manufacturing offers advantages such as safety, environmental friendliness, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This approach could become a crucial solution to address China's HSA supply challenges.

HSA is a critical medication used to treat conditions like blood loss and liver cirrhosis. China's annual demand for HSA is estimated to be between 1,500 and 1,800 tons, currently sourced entirely from plasma extraction. Limited domestic plasma supply has led to reliance on imports.

The Chairman and General Manager of Healthgen Biotechnology, Yang Daichang, highlighted the potential cost savings. He noted that patients with severe liver cirrhosis often require multiple doses of HSA weekly, with traditional plasma-derived albumin costing a significant amount per bottle. As the technology achieves industrialization and production scales up, costs are expected to decrease, making the medication more accessible to patients.