China's innovative drugs gain wider global reach, signaling growing recognition

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's innovative drugs have gained wider global reach this year, reflecting growing international recognition of the country's homegrown pharmaceutical innovations, the country's drug regulator said on Monday.

The total value of overseas licensing deals for innovative Chinese drugs has surpassed 120 billion U.S. dollars this year, up 36 percent year on year. Upfront payments in these deals have exceeded 10 billion dollars, while the average value per deal has continued to rise, according to figures published by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), at the launch ceremony of a nationwide drug safety awareness week.

China's drug regulator has in recent years accelerated reforms to bolster the quality of the pharmaceutical industry and boost innovation, an NMPA official has noted.

In 2025, more than 2,900 clinical trials for new drugs were registered nationwide, a rise of 18 percent year on year and a record high in scale. The number of clinical trials of cell and gene therapies grew by about 30 percent last year, highlighting strong activity in cutting-edge areas of drug development.

Regulatory reforms have also helped to deliver more innovative products to the market. Since the beginning of 2026, a total of 59 innovative drugs and 51 innovative medical devices have been approved for market, including 13 first-in-class drugs featuring new mechanisms or targets.

Eyeing China's innovative ecosystem, multinational pharmaceutical companies have ramped up investment in the country by building and expanding R&D centers and manufacturing bases.

In March, U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, banking on China's big market demand for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, announced that it planned to invest 3 billion U.S. dollars in China over the coming decade to expand supply-chain production capacity. This investment marked another significant move by the company to deepen its roots in China.

The NMPA said it will further improve communication mechanisms for early-stage drug development, provide tailored regulatory guidance for key products, and ensure smooth expedited testing channels to support pharmaceutical innovation. Enditem