Services

CAPRA International promotes partnerships between Canadian companies which want to develop businesses in Asia, and Asian companies aiming to establish a business presence in North America. CAPRA's focus is in life sciences - especially biotechnology and medical devices, with particular emphasis in China. Specifically, CAPRA can:

• Arrange introductions for Canadian companies with potential strategic partners and/or acquisition candidates in Asia, and vice versa

  Case Study:
  

In February 2006, Simcere Pharmaceutical R & D Co. Ltd from Nanjing, Jiangsu attended BioPartnering North America in Vanvouver for the first time. CAPRA facilitated visa arrangements through the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai and introduced Simcere to twelve BC - based biotechnology companies, ranging from pre-clinical to marketed products that were available for licensing or acquisitions. In addition, we arranged for visits to three companies of interest, along with an overview of the work of the University Industry Liaison Office at the University of British Columbia. Subsequently, Paul Stinson traveled to Nanjing in April, 2006 to meet Simcere management and business development team. In October 2006, Paul again met Simcere at BioPartnering Europe in London, and Simcere raised significant funds through a successful IPO in New York in 2007.

• Through CAPRA's relationship with The Balloch Group in Beijing, CAPRA can assist Chinese companies to raise financing for growth and expansion

Case Study:

In April 2007, Paul Stinson met Prof. Guoxiang Cheng, CEO of Genon Bioengineering, at the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Pudong, Shanghai.? They met in the context of a visit that Paul made on behalf PrioNet Canada, to explore opportunities for collaborative research on prion diseases.? Prof. Cheng is a recognized leader in transgenic animals in China.

Later that year, Paul became a Senior Advisor (Life Sciences) to The Balloch Group (TBG- www.ballochgroup.com).? TBG is a boutique merchant bank based in Beijing, with offices throughout China and in New York City. Paul introduced TBG’s Shanghai Executive Director to Prof Cheng, who outlined why he required financing to expand his business operations.? Early in 2008, following the required due diligence, TBG delivered 80 million RMB to Genon, enabling the company to expand its manufacturing and product lines.

• Develop strategies for tackling Asian markets, in alliance with R&D, manufacturing, and distribution companies based in Asia

  Case Study:
  

In February 2009, Paul Stinson and Wei Du from CAPRA met Dr. Yong Wang, Chairman of Nanjing Sanhome Pharmaceuticals, located in Jiangsu province.? Paul visited Sanhome’s manufacturing plant nearby and determined how best a collaboration with Canada could progress.?

Dr. Wang from Sanhome began exploring the possibility of purchasing Orbus Pharma, a generic pharma manufacturer, with two manufacturing plants, in Markham and Cambridge.? In July 2009, Dr. Wang presented a bid for Orbus, following his visit to Markham; Orbus declined the offer.? Then in November 2009, Dr. Wang visited Orbus again and the Toronto Stock Exchange and made a revised bid for Orbus.? Sanhome and Orbus signed three term sheets between mid-November and late December, and aimed to finalise the purchase agreement by 31 March 2010.? Unfortunately, Sanhome withdrew its offer after completing its due diligence.

CAPRA can bring companies to the negotiating table, and can do its best to finalise an agreement.? At the end of the day, however, it is up to the companies themselves to reach a deal.

• Through its alliance with a Chinese company, facilitate timely approvals of medical devices in China for Canadian manufacturers

  Case Study:
  A China based company is CAPRA International's strategic partner for registering medical device products in China. The CEO hails from Tianjin, China and has studied and worked in the United States for five years. His offices in Beijing and Tianjin provide a range of services to North American companies seeking to register medical devices in China. Fees vary, depending on the class of medical device and requirements for clinical trials. CAPRA and its partners can save North American companies significant time as they register their products in China.

• Assist with the process of securing business travel visas for Chinese companies visiting Canada
  
  Owing to its close relationship with officers in Canadian embassies and consulates in China, CAPRA has succeeded in assisting a number of travellers to secure their visas for business travel to Canada. CAPRA recommends that travellers apply well in advance, but if a late intervention is required, CAPRA may be able to help.
  
  
• Identify appropriate distribution channels for your business, both in Asia and Canada
  
  CAPRA International's contacts in both Asia and Canada cover products from biotechnology, medical devices, and pharmaceutical companies, all of which are eager to acquire new products to distribute. In addition, nutraceuticals, functional foods, cosmeceuticals, and both Traditional and Modernized Chinese Medicine products are growing in popularity, particularly in North America.

Case Study 1:
Since September 2008, Paul Stinson has been working on behalf of Sandoz China (www.Sandoz.com.cn) to assist the company to expand its portfolio of generic pharmaceutical products. This has involved three trips to China and negotiations with biopharma companies in the UK and Canada. A Canadian company is close to an agreement with Sandoz China (as of June 2010.)

Case Study 2:
An American company that manufactures state-of-the-art containers for transporting temperature sensitive materials (such as vaccines, blood products, and live organs) is exploring the launch of its product lines in China. CAPRA identified a Chinese distributor, with whom the American firm is now in negotiations. To satisfy Chinese regulatory requirements, the American company has secured UN certification for its products and is keen to launch its product before the end of 2010.

• Facilitate research partnerships in life sciences between Canada and China

In April 2007, Paul Stinson undertook a consulting visit to China, visiting Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao and Beijing in seven days, to explore Chinese researchers’ interest in collaborating with Canadian researchers involved in prion disease research.? (BSE - more commonly known as “Mad Cow Disease”- is the best known of prion diseases).? Three months later, Paul accompanied Prof. Neil Cashman, PrioNet Canada’s Scientific Director, introducing Neil to all of the places he had visited in April, along with the Pasteur Institute in Hong Kong.?

One of the outcomes of these two visits was that Prof. Cashman met Prof. Yongzhang Luo, who was the Director of China’s National Engineering Laboratory for Anti-Tumor Protein Therapeutics.? PrioNet Canada invited Prof. Luo to attend and contribute a paper to PrioNet’s annual scientific forum in February 2008.

On 28 and 29 November 2009, Prof. Luo and his Chinese colleagues invited PrioNet Canada and Canadian government researchers to the first Prion China workshop at Tsinghua University.? The event has cemented the relationship between Canada and China in this important area of animal disease research.? Canadian participants were most impressed with the research findings presented by their Chinese counterparts, and it is likely that this will be the first of many such workshops on both sides of the Pacific.

Back Home