Chiesi Group is very young.
　　Compared to multinational pharmaceutical giants that entered China in the last century, Casey only entered the Chinese market for the first time in 2001 through a partner.
　　Kathy was still a minor in China when she established her consulting firm in Shanghai in 2008, which is considered her "birthday".
　　Casey is not young either. This international pharmaceutical group, headquartered in Parma, Italy, is a 90-year-old "veteran" in the industry, with business covering 31 countries and regions around the world.
　　This is very similar to Marco Polo, who was also Italian—born into the long-established Venetian Polo merchant family, he was also a minor when he set off for China with his father and uncle.
　　Perhaps seeing this coincidence, Casey Group simply called its China market strategy the "Marco Polo Project".
　　Marco Polo shared his experiences in China with Europe, igniting a fervent fascination with the East among Europeans. Casey, on the other hand, wanted to be the "Marco Polo" of the pharmaceutical industry, demonstrating the potential of the Chinese market to hesitant foreign investors.
　　Casey Group CEO An Kangli attaches great importance to this plan. At the 6th China International Import Expo, An Kangli, who had only been at the helm of Casey for six months, decisively flew to Shanghai to announce a comprehensive upgrade of the "Marco Polo Project".
　　At this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE), An Kangli's enthusiasm remained undiminished. On November 6th, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, he and Casey returned with the upgraded "Marco Polo Project." This upgrade focuses on two aspects: deepening cooperation with Chinese domestic companies such as Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Cloud Health and JD Health to further increase the product's penetration rate in the Chinese market; and collaborating with the China Rare Disease Alliance to improve the management level of rare diseases, standardize the diagnosis and treatment system, and enhance the affordability and accessibility for patients with rare diseases.
　　Anconley's reason for continuously increasing its investment in the Chinese market is simple: "China is one of Casey's most dynamic markets globally." In fiscal year 2024, Casey's revenue in the Chinese market grew by 22% at constant exchange rates.
　　“China’s importance to Casey can be seen from two aspects,” said An Kangli. Currently, Casey’s employees in China account for 10% of the Group’s total global workforce, a very high percentage. Furthermore, Casey has launched more products in China in the past two years than in any other country.
　　The China International Import Expo (CIIE) serves as a window into Casey's emphasis on China. Since its first participation in the third CIIE in 2020 as part of the Italian delegation, Casey has exhibited with an independent booth the following year. This year marks Casey's fourth time participating in the CIIE. Its continuously evolving "Marco Polo Project" is a signature feature of Casey's CIIE booth.
　　The ever-growing market is alluring, but it can also lead one astray. "The CIIE provides a world-class exchange platform, and its spillover effects have brought many ideas about strategy and development value," said An Kangli. This gave Casey a valuable opportunity to reflect and consolidate his thoughts.
　　This "accumulation" is reflected in Casey's continued increase in R&D investment in China in recent years. For example, in the treatment of bronchiectasis, Casey and Hisun Pharmaceuticals have collaborated...The group reached a cooperation agreement at the end of 2023 to jointly develop a DDP-1 inhibitor. Casey also pledged to help Hisun Pharmaceuticals bring this innovative product to the global market.
　　Nearly 100 million people in China suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), more than 50 million are asthma patients, and over 600,000 premature infants are born each year. These enormous unmet medical needs are key areas of focus for Casey's research and development. "We will include China in the first tier, allowing it to participate in early stages of global clinical trials, which will accelerate the development of innovative drugs. ""We will bring these products to market as soon as possible to benefit Chinese patients," An Kangli said.
　　Ankli also revealed a "Mount Everest Project" to be launched this month, which is essentially an expanded exchange program between top Chinese and international experts. In the past, such opportunities were concentrated in Europe.
　　While accelerating global innovation to China, the plan also provides more opportunities for "Chinese wisdom" to go global and lets the world see China. This makes the people who formulated the "Marco Polo Plan" more like Marco Polo.

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