Invented in China

China’s pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a transformative surge in innovation, driven by comprehensive policy support, robust R&D investment, and more of its drugs being approved and used abroad. Since 2015, the sector has shifted from generic drug production to innovation-led growth, with a record number of innovative drugs approved and included in national reimbursement lists. Companies like Sino Biopharm, Fosun Pharma and Jiangsu Hengrui exemplify this evolution in their use of gene therapy, siRNA, and bispecific antibodies. The number of registered clinical trials for innovative drugs from China surpassed the US in 2023 and had since risen further since. In 2024, 38% of global innovative drug approval were drugs from China, only slightly behind the US. Making money with pharmaceuticals is harder in China than elsewhere though because patent protection is shorter and buyers have more bargaining power by law.

Source: Pharmcube, 2025