China's Domestic Innovative Drug Sector Rises, Hong Kong Seeks to Share the Gains
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
China's innovative drug sector has achieved explosive growth since the State Council's 2015 reform announcement, transitioning from generic drug production to original research drug development. In the first half of 2026, China's domestically developed innovative drugs represented over 80% of 38 globally approved new drugs, with export authorization deals surpassing US$100 billion. Hong Kong is positioning itself to capitalize on policy support and internationalization advantages to establish a world-class pharmaceutical innovation hub.
Key Points
- Since 2015, China has implemented systematic reforms in drug research and development, review and approval, and intellectual property protection, promoting the "from imitation to innovation" development of original research drugs
- In the first half of 2026, China independently developed 31 of 38 globally approved innovative drugs, exceeding 80%, including 11 drugs with new targets and mechanisms
- China's innovative drug export authorization transactions exceeded US$100 billion (approximately HK$785 billion), reaching 80% of the 2025 total, demonstrating strong international recognition
- China's average life expectancy reaches 79.25 years, with the over-60 population expected to exceed 400 million by 2035, driving demand for innovative drugs
- The world's first solid tumor CAR-T therapy "Kailimei" (generic name: Sariolizumab injection), developed by scientists from Peking University Cancer Hospital, was published in Lancet and presented at ASCO
Why It Matters
With China's innovative drugs emerging as a new engine for foreign trade alongside AI and robotics, Hong Kong's strategic location, policy support, and international connectivity position it to attract "patient capital" for biotech startups and become a world-class pharmaceutical innovation hub, ultimately benefiting local patients and the broader regional healthcare ecosystem .
With China's innovative drugs emerging as a new engine for foreign trade alongside AI and robotics, Hong Kong's strategic location, policy support, and international connectivity position it to attract "patient capital" for biotech startups and become a world-class pharmaceutical innovation hub, ultimately benefiting local patients and the broader regional healthcare ecosystem .