Between 2000 and 2005, the Chinese biopharmaceutical sector grew 30%, while the global average for the sector grew 19%. Nonetheless, some observers are concerned that production will slow over the next five years. The fastest-growing Chinese biopharmaceutical manufacturers have concentrated on using genetically modified microorganisms to express proteins and very few are developing the capacity for large-scale mammalian cell–based manufacturing. The government heavily subsidizes biotech R&D, but the industry has been slow to invest in production technology. Of the more than 100 Chinese biotech drug manufacturers, only Shanghai CP Guojan Pharmaceutical produces drugs from human cells, and its CNY 1 billion ($125 million) investment in production facilities only allows the company to operate on the level of a pilot-scale plant. Source: Nature Biotechnology