When we founded Simcere on 28 March 1995, our vision was to establish a company that would in turn help create a healthier China. Since our founding, we have swiftly evolved from being a pure distributor of pharmaceutical products to become a leading manufacturer and supplier of drugs in the rapidly growing China pharmaceutical market. We now have six certified Good Manufacturing Practices ("GMP") manufacturing facilities, two nationwide sales and marketing subsidiaries, a research and development center and over 3,000 employees.
In recent years, we have continued to refine our strategy to focus on the development of first-to-market generic and innovative pharmaceuticals. We have introduced a first-to-market generic stroke management medication under the brand name Bicun, and an innovative anti-cancer medication under the brand name Endu. We currently manufacture and sell 39 principal pharmaceutical products and are the exclusive distributor of three additional pharmaceuticals that are manufactured by independent third parties but marketed under our brand. In addition, we have obtained approvals from the SFDA to manufacture and sell over 210 other products. In our research and development efforts, we concentrate on the treatment of diseases with high incidence and/or mortality rates and for which there is a clear demand for more effective pharmacotherapy. As of 31 March 2008, we had 12 product candidates in various stages of development, including treatments for cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, infections, rheumatoid arthritis, and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.
Our innovative anti-cancer medication Endu was granted an invention patent in China and was the first recombinant human endostatin injection approved for sale in China. Recombinant human endostatin is an engineered protein that inhibits the growth of blood vessels to a tumor, thereby starving and preventing the growth of cancer cells. Our generic anti-stroke medication Bicun was the first edaravone injection, a type of neuroprotective pharmaceutical compound, approved for sale in China. Our generic amoxicillin granule antibiotic, marketed under the brand name Zailin, was recognized as a "China Well-Known Trademark" in 2004 and our anti-inflammatory pain relievers for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, marketed under the brand name Yingtaiqing, was recognized as a "China Well-Known Trademark" in 2008. Both enjoy premium pricing as a result.
In September 2006, we acquired 80% of Shandong Simcere Medgenn Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for RMB 200 million, and launched our new patented anti-cancer drug, Endu (also known as "Endostar"). This was the first recombinant human endostatin successfully commercialized in the world and was one of the biggest Chinese pharmaceutical acquisitions targeting a single pharmaceutical product's intellectual property. The successful commercialization of Endu came about through the hard work and combined efforts of our R&D team, led by Dr. Yongzhang Luo, our independent clinical research team, headed by Dr. Yan Sun, and our professional sales and marketing team. Clinical research was conducted in 24 hospitals in China and an independent specialists committee audited the clinical research statistics and data. The results of our Phase III clinical studies on 493 Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer ("NSCLC") patients showed that the Endu-plus-chemotherapy approach provides an effective alternative for treating NSCLC.
Going forward, we want to become a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company by providing innovative medicines that will reshape the future of the pharmaceutical industry in China. About 5000m2 research and development center in Nanjing provides us with a solid platform to support research activities that include synthetic research, drug analysis and pharmacological and cytological research. Our post-doctorate research workstation is benefiting from the efforts of 10 post-doctoral researchers and was certified by the State Ministry of Human Resources. To supplement our in-house research and development capabilities, we plan to increase our collaboration with domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and institutions along the lines of our Joint Laboratory for Drug Discovery together with Tsinghua University, which engages in the research and development of innovative pharmaceuticals. Simcere's commitment to research and development helps to ensure a robust pipeline of product candidates in various stages of development. With our deep knowledge about the Chinese pharmaceutical market, and increasing cooperation with domestic and international institutions, we are well positioned to provide quality products and services that will exceed our customers' expectations and help us meet the challenges of the new century.
Our employees are valuable business partners and internal customers, who share our beliefs and business vision. Simcere believes in helping every employee reach his/her maximum potential; we are devoted to investing our resources to ensure their success. A hunger for excellence is in the blood of every Simcere employee, and we all strive to create value for the company in a way which is consistent with our concerns for society at large.