(Yicai) Dec. 5 -- Roche Diagnostics, the diagnostic tests, instruments, and digital solutions unit of Swiss drugmaker Roche, has released its first quantitative polymerase chain reaction system developed in China.

Roche Diagnostics started selling the LightCycler PRO System, manufactured at its plant in Suzhou, yesterday. The molecular diagnostic machine enables precise quantitative analysis of DNA or RNA in samples by monitoring the nucleic acid amplification process in real time.

The LightCycler PRO System is applicable in various scenarios, including pathogen detection, gene expression research, and genetic mutation screening, according to Roche Diagnostics.

In the context of the rapidly changing international environment, the sustainability and resilience of the supply chain are vital, Richeal Cline, head of global operations at Roche Diagnostics, said in an interview with Yicai at the first Sino-Swiss Innovation Day organized by the firm and the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Suzhou on Dec. 3.

Roche Diagnostics is expanding its complete pharmaceutical industry value chain in research and development, manufacturing, and sales in China to address fast market changes, Cline pointed out. The Chinese market is the company's second-largest after the United States, serving as a gateway to other markets in the Asia-Pacific region, she noted.

The production base in China is a crucial part of Roche Diagnostics' global manufacturing facility network, Cline pointed out.

Roche Diagnostics' latest investment at its plant in Suzhou will build world-leading research and production facilities to accelerate product development in China, Cline said. In addition, the trend of data-driven production optimization in the country has significantly enhanced the manufacturing efficiency of local factories, she added.

Roche Diagnostics will strengthen its ability to provide high-quality medicines and diagnostic products to patients around the world, including China, through continuous investment, Cline stressed.

During the Sino-Swiss Innovation Day event, Roche Diagnostics and the Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control signed an agreement to set up a joint laboratory, marking a key step in accelerating the firm's localization strategy.

Roche Diagnostics' Asia-Pacific plant and R&D center in Suzhou has been operational for 10 years and is a key part of the company's global manufacturing network. In May, the firm broke ground on a new project at the facility, with the initial phase having a total investment of CHF383 million (USD477 million), its biggest single investment in China.

Editor: Martin Kadiev