The National Center for Drug Screening was jointly invested by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Municipality Government. At present, it is the only national center specializing in screening for new drugs. As a public technology platform, the Center offers drug screening services and technical consultation to universities, research institutions and pharmaceutical companies nationwide.

Screening compounds is the beginning and a vital step in innovative drug research. Without screening, novel chemical substances with specific biological activities cannot be discovered and new drug research would be impossible. The establishment of the National Center for Drug Screening is an important milestone in advancing China’s drug research and innovation system, and has a far-reaching significance in promoting national innovative drug research and high-tech industrial development.