Timeline

1919 The word biotechnology is first used.

1943 DNA shown to be the “transforming factor” and the material of genes

1943 Guilherme Emrich born in Belo Horizonte

1953 The three-dimensional structure of DNA solved

1953 Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw born in Bangalore

1958 Indian government passes Scientific Policy Resolution

1966 Emrich graduates from Universidade Federal de Minas Geraihs

1966 The 10 year Cultural Revolution begins in China

1967 Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP) established under the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology 

1967 Ge Li born in Beijing

1969 Emrich founds first company in information technology 

1969 An enzyme is synthesized in vitro for the first time

1973 Mazumdar-Shaw graduates with B.Sc. in zoology from Bangalore University

1973 First successful recombinant DNA experiment, using bacterial genes

1975 Method for producing monoclonal antibodies developed

1975 18-month state of emergency begins

1976 Emrich cofounds Biobrás

1976 Biobrás pioneers insulin production in Brazil cofounds Biobrás

1976 First biotech company, Genentech, founded

1977 Genetically engineered bacteria synthesize human growth protein

1977 China’s Open Door policy starts

1978 Second biotech company, Biogen, founded

1978 Mazumdar-Shaw joins Biocon Biochemicals Limited, founds Biocon India

1979 Several Chinese provinces start One-Child initiatives

1980 Sixth biotech company, Amgen (originally Applied Molecular Genetics), founded

1982 First recombinant DNA drug, human insulin, marketed

1983 Indian government Technology Policy Statement 

1984 Biocon starts to focus on enzyme R&D

1984 HIV genome cloned and sequenced

1985 Brazil joins regional trade pact, Mercosur

1986 First monoclonal antibody treatment, first biotech-derived interferon and first genetically-engineered human vaccine are approved

1986 Formation of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

1986 Inflation explodes in Brazil, starting a decade of hyperinflation

1989 Li graduates with B.Sc. in chemistry from Peking University

1989 Biobrás becomes world’s fourth largest producer of insulin, exports to 25 countries 

1991 Economic Liberalization initiated in India

1992 Reforms establish a socialist market economy

1993 Li awarded Ph.D. from Columbia on combinatorial chemistry; joins Pharmacopeia

1994 Mazumdar-Shaw founds Syngene, India’s first CRO

1994 Brazil introduces a new currency, the Real 

1997 Dolly the sheep cloned using DNA from two adult sheep cells

1998 
Mazumdar-Shaw buys 
out then-partner Unileve

1998 China initiates Project Yangtze to increase the competitveness of academia

1999 Emrich cofounds FIR Capital Partners

1999 Brazil introduces Science and Technology Sectoral Funds

2000 India’s population 
hits 1 billion

2000 Mazumdar-Shaw launches 
Clinigene to cater to clinical development

2000 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awards patent for Biobrás’s recombinant human 
insulin production process

2000 Completion 
of rough draft 
of the human 
genome sequence

2000 WuXi PharmaTech 
establishes discovery chemistry 
and full time employee–based 
services

2000 Li cofounds WuXi PharmaTech

2001 Biobrás is sold to Novo Nordisk

2001 Emrich cofounds Biomm Technology

2001 Chinese scientists contribute 
1 percent of sequencing to the Human 
Genome Sequencing Consortium

2001 China becomes a 
member of the World Trade 
Organization

2003 Brazil’s macroeconomic
stability begins steady 
improvement

2003 Indian government announces Science and 
Technology 
Policy

2004 
China has 
5,000 drug 
companies

2004 Biocon issues IPO: 
oversubscribed by over 32 times

2004 Biocon launches a new 
generation bio-insulin, Insugen

2004 Ge Li is appointed 
chairman of WuXi PharmaTech

2004 WuXi PharmaTech 
offers manufacturing services

2005 Outsourcing to India creates a 
service economy boom

2005 Nearly 390,000 personnel are employed in India’s R&D establishments

2005 The one-billionth acre 
of biotech 
seed is planted

2005 Human blastocyst stem cells 
differentiated into neural stem cells, 
then into spinal motor 
neuron cells

2006 Biocon 
launches India’s 
first anti-cancer drug, BIOMAb EGFR

2006 China implements Action Plan to Increase the Population’s Understanding of Science

2006 WuXi PharmaTech establishes 
service biology operation

2007 WuXi PharmaTech 
is listed on New York Stock Exchange

2007 Biocon divests enzymes division for $115 million to Novozymes

2007 3,000 mulitnational companies have R&D centers in India

2007 FIR Capital’s Fundotec II is launched Science, Technology and Innovation
for National Development 
(PACTI)

2008 WuXi PharmaTech buys AppTec Laboratory Services

2008 Brazil ranked 13th in the world in 
numbers of published scientific works

2008 Brazil becomes a net external creditor

2009 Brazil named top 
country in upward evolution of competitiveness 

2010 China raises national investment in R&D to 2 percent of GDP

2010 China overtakes Japan to become world’s second largest economy

2010 India’s economy tops $4.002 trillion, with a 6.3 
percent share of world income, the fourth largest in the world