French pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetics company Pierre Fabre Laboratories will continue to increase its investment and cooperation efforts in China, one of its top priority markets globally and a strategic pillar for the company's future growth, fulfilling its long-term commitment of "in China, for China", said a senior executive.

As one of the first multinational pharmaceutical companies to enter China, Pierre Fabre has consistently approached the China market with an open mindset and a commitment to long-term development. The company is confident in the future of the China market and regards the country as a key growth engine in its global strategy, said Eric Ducournau, group CEO of Pierre Fabre, one of France's leading pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetics companies, during a recent exclusive interview in Shanghai.

"Our ambition is to be not only a participant, but a true strategic partner in China's development, and actively contribute to the country's journey toward better healthcare as per the Healthy China 2030 goals," he said.

China has made improvements in the business environment and with healthcare reforms in recent years. In particular, the series of policies supporting the development of the biopharmaceutical sector across the entire value chain has provided strong momentum for companies like Pierre Fabre — which entered the China market in 1993 — to continue investing, innovating and growing in the country, said Ducournau.

Over the past few years, Pierre Fabre's business in China has delivered solid and sustained growth. In the pharmaceuticals sector, its oncology portfolio has gained strong momentum, particularly in breast and lung cancers.

Currently, the company is actively advancing the introduction of a new targeted treatment for specific types of non-small cell lung cancer in China, where current treatment options are limited. The therapy is expected to be approved in the country very soon, according to Ducournau, providing an additional treatment option for patients.

In the dermo-cosmetics sector, the company's three key brands — Avene, Klorane and Rene Furterer — have all achieved continuous market share growth, and China has been the largest market for Avene for a decade. Last year, e-commerce accounted for two-thirds of Pierre Fabre's total dermo-cosmetics business in China, with double-digit year-on-year growth. All its core brands outperformed the overall market on key platforms, such as Tmall, TikTok and JD.

"Since entering Tmall in 2015, our brands have worked closely with local partners to develop tailored e-commerce strategies addressing the needs of Chinese consumers with sensitive skin and driving sustained growth across major platforms. We aim to extend the e-commerce expertise and localized innovation developed in China to global markets, allowing China's experience to benefit consumers worldwide," Ducournau said.

Localized innovation is a major driving force behind the company's business growth in China, and the launch of a Pierre Fabre China Innovation Center — one of the three such facilities globally — marks a shift from global product import to a new phase of research and development for China. Kicking off operations in 2023, the center combines European scientific achievements with local clinical observations to develop formulations suited to Chinese consumers.

"We estimate that around 15 percent of our China market sales in the dermo-cosmetics sector this year will come from products created by the local R&D and manufactured locally," said Ducournau.

Regarding future collaboration plans in the country, Ducournau stated that China's policy direction in the field of innovative drugs is very encouraging, and will provide strong impetus for multinational companies to deepen long-term partnerships in China's high-quality development by further collaborating with local stakeholders and helping Chinese innovation connect with rest of the world.

From a partnership perspective, the company is pursuing a selective, long-term licensing and collaboration strategy in China. In December, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese pharmaceutical group Sinopharm, aiming to combine Pierre Fabre's global R&D strength with the Chinese enterprise's market reach and implementation capability.

"Going forward, we plan to further expand both the depth and breadth of our partnerships with local firms — both in licensing and broader strategic cooperation, so that together we can improve the accessibility of innovative therapies, better address clinical needs and ultimately benefit more patients in the country," Ducournau said.