In biomedical science, China still lags behind the United States and Europe when it comes to fundamental research and conducting clinical trials involving investigators and participants from several countries1. But the nation is now a global leader when it comes to drug development and manufacturing. And it is becoming increasingly important in frontier science.
How China is vying to attract the world’s top scientific talent
Industry analysts estimate that China now accounts for 70–95% of the global supply chain for many essential pharmaceutical products, including ibuprofen and paracetamol. In 2024, Chinese biotechnology firms developed more than 1,250 new drugs, surpassing the European Union and approaching the US total of roughly 1,440 (see ‘A growing force in biomedical innovation’). In 2018, China conducted only 9% of the clinical trials conducted by companies around the world. Now, it is responsible for about one-fifth of such trials1 (see ‘Top contributors to commercial clinical trials’). And in the past few years, it has achieved several therapeutic milestones.
As China’s biotech industry gathers pace, however, so does geopolitical scrutiny.
Last December, the US Biosecure Act was signed into law in response to concerns about national security. This act prevents US pharmaceutical companies that receive federal funding from working with certain Chinese biotech companies. Such increased outside scrutiny, stemming from ongoing concerns about how genetic and clinical information is handled in China, has been prompting Chinese government officials, state-affiliated think tanks and industry stakeholders to advocate for building a closed ‘secure’ biotech ecosystem in China.
Although a desire to sever ties is understandable, closing off China’s biotech and pharma industries and its preclinical and clinical research from the rest of the world would be scientifically and economically counterproductive. It would blunt China’s momentum, restrict people’s access to life-saving medications in nations around the world and stall innovation globally.
Biomedical progress depends on shared knowledge, diverse patient cohorts and the development of regulations that aligns with global standards. In our view, China — and the rest of the world — should be striving to become more collaborative, not less.
China’s biotech rise
Several domestic shifts have been driving China’s biotech boom.
The country’s advance to become the world’s leading provider of many ‘active pharmaceutical ingredients’ (the biologically active components that produce a medication’s intended therapeutic effect), is thanks to decades of investment in chemical manufacturing, as well as in the transport, storage and export of compounds.
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