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<\/p>\nIn recent years, China\u2019s innovative pharmaceutical industry has continuously enhanced its comprehensive strength, steadily improved its R capabilities, and expanded its market scale. License-out transactions have repeatedly hit new highs, demonstrating formidable potential and developmental resilience while playing an increasingly vital role on the global stage. The innovative drug industry plays an irreplaceable role in driving technological innovation, optimizing industrial structures, elevating healthcare standards, and strengthening international cooperation within the industrial chain. It stands as a vital domain of new productive forces. How to propel China\u2019s innovative drug industry toward higher-quality development and ensure its steady, long-term advancement onto the global stage is a question demanding profound consideration at present.<\/p>\n
After years of development, China\u2019s comprehensive strength in innovative drug development has risen to the forefront of the global second tier, with notable achievements in international collaboration.<\/p>\n
The innovative drug market continues to expand.<\/p>\n
According to data from institutions such as the Comprehensive Forward Industry Research Institute and Frost & Sullivan, China\u2019s innovative drug market size grew from $132.5 billion in 2019 to $159.2 billion in 2024 (see Figure 1), maintaining a global share of approximately 15%. Forecasts indicate that by 2030, China\u2019s innovative drug market is expected to exceed $300 billion, with its global share continuing to rise.<\/p>\n
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License-out hits new record high License-out Hits New Record High<\/p>\n
Pharm-X data reveals that in 2024, China completed 94 license-out transactions for innovative drugs, with total overseas deal value reaching $51.9 billion\u2014a 26% year-over-year increase. From January to March 2025, China recorded 41 license-out deals totaling $36.929 billion, both figures setting new historical highs for the same period (see Figure 2).<\/p>\n
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Research and development capabilities continue to improve<\/p>\n
Overall, China\u2019s new drug R capabilities have reached the forefront of the global second tier. According to data from McKinsey, WuXi AppTec, and other institutions, China\u2019s share of global drug pipelines under development rose to 26.7% in 2024, second only to the United States\u2019 49.1%. China ranks third globally in the number of new drugs approved for market launch annually, following the United States and Japan. The proportion of clinical trials conducted by Chinese companies in the global clinical trial landscape surpassed Europe in 2020 and overtook the United States in 2023, reaching 1,735 trials. This number exceeded 1,900 in 2024. Additionally, China and the United States lead the world in the number of clinical trials conducted in fields such as stem cell therapy and gene therapy.<\/p>\n
The innovative drug sector continues to expand.<\/p>\n
According to statistics from WuXi PharmaTech, from 2015 to 2024, innovative drugs under development globally covered 3,212 therapeutic areas. Among these, Chinese companies\u2019 pipelines covered 1,300 therapeutic areas, representing a coverage rate of 40%. Chinese companies lead the development progress in 716 therapeutic areas (22%). In contrast, U.S. companies cover 1,689 therapeutic areas (53%), leading development progress in 1,212 areas (38%).<\/p>\n
China\u2019s Innovative Drugs Accelerate Their Lead<\/p>\n
In recent years, China\u2019s innovative pharmaceutical companies have demonstrated significant specialization and differentiated strategies across various therapeutic areas and technological approaches. Numerous pipelines and marketed products have achieved \u201cChina-first\u201d and even \u201cworld-first\u201d status (see table).<\/p>\n
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Innovative drug financing remains active<\/p>\n
According to MoShan Investment and Financing data, in 2024, the global healthcare sector recorded a total of 3,007 investment and financing events. China accounted for 767 of these, ranking second only to the United States with 1,596 events. This figure significantly outpaced the United Kingdom (130 events), Canada (79 events), Switzerland (71 events), and Germany (48 events).<\/p>\n
The innovative pharmaceutical industry cluster continues to develop.<\/p>\n
As China\u2019s innovative pharmaceutical industry continues to develop, it is gradually forming industrial clusters. For instance, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Life Sciences Cluster has established a complete industrial chain encompassing technology R, clinical trials, testing and approval, manufacturing, and distribution. The Zhangjiang Biomedical Cluster in Shanghai has evolved into one of China\u2019s key biomedical innovation hubs. Beijing has commenced construction of the International Medical Innovation Park, aiming to establish a global hub for pharmaceutical innovation collaboration. Additionally, multiple national-level biopharmaceutical clusters have emerged in regions such as Shandong, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. Leveraging local policy support, scientific research resources, and talent advantages, these clusters have generated significant industrial agglomeration effects, driving the rapid advancement of China\u2019s innovative drug sector.<\/p>\n
The overall profitability of the innovative drug industry has improved.<\/p>\n
According to data from East Money Choice cited in a report by Securities Daily on April 26, among 98 A-share companies in the innovative drug sector, 62 have disclosed their 2024 annual reports, with 34 achieving year-on-year growth in net profit attributable to shareholders. This lays a solid foundation for better participation in international cooperation.<\/p>\n
Rapid Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Pharmaceutical Development<\/p>\n
According to data from institutions such as the Comprehensive Forward-Looking Industry Research Institute and Frost & Sullivan, China has now become the world\u2019s second most active country in medical AI transactions. By 2024, China\u2019s AI healthcare market size has surpassed 15 billion yuan, with expectations of rapid growth exceeding 30% CAGR in the future. By the end of 2024, the number of AI-powered pharmaceutical companies in China had reached 105, marking the entry into the \u201cera of 100 enterprises.\u201d With the advancement of AI models like DeepSeek, many leading innovative drug companies in China are accelerating their AI-driven pharmaceutical initiatives.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s international cooperation in innovative drug development has achieved new progress, rooted in the high-quality development of the nation\u2019s pharmaceutical industry as a whole. This advancement stems from the combined effects of multiple factors, including policy support, capital investment, human resources, and industrial infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The year 2015 marked a pivotal moment in China\u2019s innovative drug development. New policies established a \u201cgreen channel\u201d for urgently needed innovative drugs, providing corresponding financial subsidies and shortening review and approval timelines. In 2017, China\u2019s drug regulatory authorities formally joined the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), gradually aligning China\u2019s drug review technical requirements with international standards. In 2024, the Implementation Plan for Full-Chain Support of Innovative Drug Development, approved by the State Council executive meeting, along with corresponding supporting policies from various regions, further bolstered innovative drug development, injecting powerful momentum into the industry\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n
Recently, Beijing and Shenzhen\u2014two major hubs for pharmaceutical innovation\u2014simultaneously introduced policies supporting innovative drug development. These policies focus on comprehensive support across the entire innovation chain, including R support, clinical trial efficiency enhancement, accelerated review and approval, AI-enabled innovation, investment and financing support, and talent retention. This elevates the level of support for innovative drug development to new heights, providing additional backing for China\u2019s international cooperation in innovative drugs and injecting fresh momentum into its development.<\/p>\n
As a capital-intensive industry, innovative drug development relies heavily on substantial funding. Data from WuXi PharmaTech shows that from 2015 to 2024, China\u2019s innovative drug sector raised a total of 1.23 trillion yuan from primary and secondary markets. Fueled by substantial capital inflows, a large number of Chinese innovative drug companies have gradually built robust product pipelines, launched multiple innovative drugs in domestic and international markets, and established an integrated innovation chain spanning \u201cR-production-commercialization.\u201d<\/p>\n
A comprehensive and controllable pharmaceutical supply chain provides robust support for China\u2019s innovative drug development. China is the world\u2019s largest producer and exporter of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), while also ranking among the top global producers and exporters of generic drugs, possessing industrial chain advantages that are difficult for other countries to replicate. In recent years, multinational pharmaceutical companies have continuously expanded their presence in the Chinese market. Beyond recognizing China\u2019s development potential as the world\u2019s second-largest pharmaceutical market, they increasingly rely on China\u2019s well-established pharmaceutical supply chain to achieve their own strategic goals.<\/p>\n
Moreover, China\u2019s innovative drug development relies on its abundant human resources. Statistics show that China produces approximately 5.1 million STEM undergraduate graduates annually\u2014surpassing India (around 2.9 million) despite both being populous nations, and far exceeding the United States (about 600,000), the most populous developed country. Furthermore, data from the National Health Commission indicates that China currently produces over 500,000 graduates annually with bachelor\u2019s degrees or higher in medical fields, ranking among the world\u2019s highest. This establishes a robust human resource foundation for innovative drug development. Simultaneously, factors such as patient recruitment advantages, human resource strengths, and lower operational costs at clinical trial institutions contribute to clinical trial costs in China being approximately one-third of those in Europe and the United States, offering a significant cost advantage.<\/p>\n
The global pharmaceutical supply chain landscape is undergoing transformation. Against this backdrop, China\u2019s innovative drug industry faces numerous challenges in advancing international cooperation.<\/p>\n
Confronted with uncertainties in future development, Chinese innovative drug enterprises are recalibrating their direction and pathways for international collaboration. Building upon the domestic market foundation, adhering to a strategy of \u201cindependent innovation + diversified deployment\u201d has become the industry\u2019s shared choice and practical approach. Policy support, as a key internal driver for innovative drug development, should also be elevated to a strategic level. Efforts should be made across multiple dimensions to fully leverage the guiding, supporting, and empowering role of policies, thereby better assisting China\u2019s innovative drug industry in deeper integration into the global pharmaceutical industry chain\u2019s trend of convergence and development.<\/p>\n
The \u201cImplementation Plan for Full-Chain Support of Innovative Drug Development\u201d has elevated policy support for innovative drugs to new heights. Supporting policies from relevant departments and local governments have been rolled out, empowering innovative drug companies in international cooperation through accelerated review and approval processes, financial incentives, adjustments to the medical insurance reimbursement list, and international collaboration support. Recently, the national government explicitly announced plans to establish an innovative drug directory and improve drug pricing mechanisms. This marks a significant step toward building a sustainable innovation ecosystem driven by pricing, focusing on creating a closed-loop cycle of \u201cR-market launch-return-R\u201d for innovative drugs.<\/p>\n
The \u201cImplementation Plan for Digital and Intelligent Transformation of the Pharmaceutical Industry (2025-2030)\u201d issued by seven ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, proposes deepening the application of artificial intelligence. Support relevant entities in establishing pharmaceutical large-model innovation platforms to collaboratively develop pharmaceutical large-model technologies and products, conduct regulatory science research, and strengthen rule-making in areas such as standards, scientific ethics, application security, and risk management. Launch pilot programs for \u201cAI-Empowered Pharmaceutical Full Industry Chain\u201d applications, encouraging leading pharmaceutical companies to form consortia with medical institutions, research institutes, upstream\/downstream enterprises, and major users to create a series of highly effective, landmark application scenarios across the entire pharmaceutical industry chain. Encourage localities to build public service platforms in the pharmaceutical AI sector, including concept verification, pilot testing, common technologies, intellectual property operations, and open-source communities.<\/p>\n
The global healthcare governance system is undergoing restructuring, marked by a significant reduction in funding from major contributors. The digital and intelligent transformation of the pharmaceutical industry, driven by AI empowerment, is accelerating. China\u2019s international cooperation in innovative drugs faces new challenges. In response, policy support for the international cooperation and development of the pharmaceutical industry can focus on the following four areas.<\/p>\n
First, leveraging China\u2019s strengths in outward-oriented pharmaceutical supply chain cooperation, we should proactively design healthcare cooperation agendas in multilateral and bilateral forums. This involves establishing more communication mechanisms and platforms to dismantle explicit and implicit barriers, enhance risk prevention and response capabilities, facilitate specific cooperative projects, and foster integrated development of domestic and international pharmaceutical supply chains.<\/p>\n
Second, leveraging the \u201chard power\u201d of China\u2019s pharmaceutical supply chain, we must proactively cultivate \u201csoft power\u201d in multilateral and bilateral international cooperation scenarios\u2014such as policy advocacy, regulatory collaboration, financing support, development assistance, and public welfare rescue platform development\u2014from the perspective of China\u2019s overall international development cooperation strategy. This will foster a more favorable environment for international cooperation among China\u2019s innovative pharmaceutical enterprises.<\/p>\n
Third, we must leverage China\u2019s abundant pharmaceutical professional talent pool to cultivate a specialized workforce with international cooperation vision, extensive diplomatic experience, and solid expertise. This will lay a robust human foundation for China\u2019s innovative pharmaceutical international collaboration.<\/p>\n
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In recent years, China’s innovative pharmaceutical industry has continuously enhanced its comprehensive strength, steadily improved its R&D capabilities, and expanded its market scale. License-out transactions have repeatedly hit new highs, demonstrating formidable potential and developmental resilience while playing an increasingly vital role on the global stage. The innovative drug industry plays an irreplaceable role in […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":598,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-dynamics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalsoho.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}