Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca unveiled its upgraded Global R&D China Center in Shanghai on Monday, marking another milestone in its expansion in the country.

A key pillar in AstraZeneca's global R&D network, the newly upgraded Global R&D China Center will have a hand to play in the company's global drug development, R&D pipeline, R&D strategy development, and full-lifecycle product development and launch, according to the company.

The center will cover areas such as oncology, respiratory conditions, immunology, rare diseases as well as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disorders.

Besides developing new drugs and further addressing China's unmet medical needs, the center will also participate in and lead global drug discovery efforts, the company said.

Pascal Soriot, global CEO of AstraZeneca, said in a video address that innovation is the engine powering the company's development, particularly innovation in the R&D field.

"As our Global R&D China Center sets sail, we'll build on this foundation and join hands with more partners to advance the pharmaceutical innovation in Shanghai and China as part of our efforts to tap global resources to help build a healthy China," he said.

"AstraZeneca is proud to be a strategic partner of Shanghai in its effort to build a world-class biopharmaceutical industry cluster. We're determined to deliver our ‘In China and For China' commitment," he said.

Powered by its in-house R&D and external collaboration model, the Global R&D China Center will leverage China's strengths in AI, big data, and other fields, especially Shanghai's advantages as a global pharmaceutical and high-tech industry hub, to bring innovative medicines from the world to China and accelerate the delivery of innovative drugs from China to the world, the company said.

He Jing, head of R&D China of AstraZeneca, said that the center has shifted its focus from conducting confirmatory studies in China and supporting new drug launches to earlier stage research and development.

Local government officials, including Zong Ming, vice-mayor of Shanghai, Gu Jun, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Yu Yong, secretary of the CPC Jing'an district committee, as well as Chris Wood, British Consul General to Shanghai, attended the ceremony.