March in Suzhou brings gentle spring breezes and a vibrant energy to the ancient city—a fitting backdrop for the 2026 China Pharmacy Hundred-Qiang Conference, held on March 21 in Suzhou. The event convened industry leaders, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical manufacturers to address evolving challenges and opportunities in community-based healthcare delivery.
At the conference’s flagship forum, Yao Junhua, Chairman of Jiangsu Wangao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote address titled “Repositioning Health Stations and Empowering Brand Manufacturers.” In it, he outlined Wangao’s strategic response to structural shifts in China’s pharmacy ecosystem—particularly the growing emphasis on clinical relevance, academic rigor, and integrated chronic disease management within retail pharmacy settings.
A Commitment Forged in Clinical Utility
The evening prior, Wangao hosted its “One Hundred Commonly Used Medicines, Meticulously Manufactured by Wangao” gala—a celebration underscoring the company’s decades-long focus on essential therapeutics. Wu Kaihua, Publisher of China Pharmacy Magazine, opened the event with an analysis of high-quality development trends in pharmacy retail. He commended Wangao for aligning its R&D pipeline and product portfolio closely with real-world clinical needs and frontline dispensing environments. “Wangao exemplifies manufacturer–retailer collaboration at its best,” Wu noted, highlighting the company’s sustained investment in evidence-based medicine and its adherence to rigorous pharmacovigilance standards—principles that resonate deeply with the magazine’s mission of advancing retail pharmacy through academic empowerment.
Chairman Yao reaffirmed that the slogan is not marketing rhetoric but a public health pledge. “For years, we’ve pursued a dual-track strategy: robust generic drug development to ensure broad access to foundational therapies, and targeted innovation to build sustainable therapeutic differentiation,” he stated. Looking ahead, Wangao intends to deepen partnerships with national pharmacy chains and specialized service providers—not only to expand distribution but to co-develop clinical support tools, patient education resources, and digital health solutions tailored to chronic condition management.
New Topical Analgesics Expand Bone and Joint Care Portfolio
The gala culminated in the official launch of two new over-the-counter (OTC) topical analgesics approved under China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) registration system: loxoprofen sodium gel patch and diclofenac diethylamine emulgel. Both products are indicated for the symptomatic relief of mild-to-moderate musculoskeletal pain—including strains, sprains, tendinitis, and osteoarthritic joint discomfort.
The loxoprofen sodium gel patch leverages advanced transdermal delivery technology to achieve rapid, localized tissue penetration and sustained intra-articular drug concentrations. In contrast, the diclofenac diethylamine emulgel provides extended-duration analgesia—up to 12 hours—with optimized skin tolerability and minimal systemic absorption. Rigorous bioequivalence and stability testing under GMP-compliant manufacturing conditions ensures consistent potency and safety across batches. These launches reinforce Wangao’s leadership in accessible, science-driven bone and joint therapeutics—an area increasingly critical as China’s population ages and demand for non-opioid, non-oral pain management options rises.
Sports, Science, and Shared Values
Wangao also highlighted its broader commitment to health promotion beyond the pharmacy counter—most notably through its partnership with Nantong Haimen Kediyuan Football Club. Three club players—team captain and midfielder Li Xiancheng, forward Guo Kainan, and versatile defender-midfielder Zhang Haonan—joined the gala to underscore parallels between athletic excellence and pharmaceutical stewardship: discipline, precision, resilience, and teamwork. The club’s undefeated record in the 2025 Jiangsu Provincial Urban Football League regular season served as a metaphor for consistent performance grounded in preparation and integrity—values Wangao applies equally to clinical trial design, quality control, and patient-centered service models.
Recognition Amidst Industry Transformation
The gala also honored recipients of the China Pharmacy Value Awards—including the Elite Enterprise Award, the Emerging Enterprise Award, and the Outstanding Pharmacy Executive of 2025–2026. These accolades recognize organizations and individuals driving measurable improvements in medication access, health literacy, and practice-based research.
Over its 26-year history, China Pharmacy Magazine has chronicled the sector’s evolution from transactional dispensing to therapeutic partnership. Wangao’s inclusion among this year’s honorees reflects its unwavering focus on high-volume, high-impact medicines—each developed with clinical input, validated through real-world use, and manufactured to international quality benchmarks. As China advances its Healthy China 2030 agenda, companies like Wangao demonstrate how purpose-driven pharmaceutical development, grounded in both scientific excellence and social responsibility, can meaningfully strengthen primary care infrastructure—one tablet, one patch, and one partnership at a time.