Novast

Background

Established in 2005 by Dr. Guohua Zhang, a returnee Ph.D. in pharmaceuticals, the company specializes in developing and manufacturing generic drugs with   proprietary brands, particularly controlled-release formulations.

Its products primarily target high-end markets in the U.S., Europe, and China, focusing on hypertension and coronary heart disease treatments. It achieved a breakthrough as the first Chinese drug maker to enter the mainstream U.S. prescription market, with multiple products leading in market share.

In 2012, Eli Lilly invested an additional $20 million in Novast, becoming one of its shareholders. The two companies collaborated to develop drugs in three major areas: anti-diabetes,anti-cancer, and central nervous system.

The company operates a cGMP-compliant facility in the bonded area, with an annual production capacity of over 2 billion oral tablets and 176 million capsules for global patients.

Case details

• Total Investment: USD 200 million

• Construction Area: 40,000 m²

• Revenue (2024): RMB 866 million

• Net Profit (2024): RMB 260 million