China's 12th Five-Year (2011-15) Plan for the Development of the Biological Industry is expected to be released next month, Shanghai Securities News reported on Thursday.

A draft of the plan, which was initiated by the National Development and Reform Commission, was submitted to the State Council several months ago, according to Li Qing, director of the Development Center for Medical Sciences and Technology, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Health.

The annual sales of the biological industry will reach 400 trillion yuan ($64 trillion) by 2015, with 318 trillion yuan coming from biopharmaceuticals, said Yu Xiong, vice-president of the State Institute of the Pharmaceutical Industry.

The plan forecasts that five Chinese biological drugmakers will be among the world's top 100 pharmaceutical companies by 2015.

China Daily-Agencies