https://www.scmp.com/rss/519768/feed Learn about China’s biomedical breakthroughs, from cutting-edge pharmaceuticals to life-saving research, driving global health innovation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julie Zhang Julie Zhang The State Council, China’s cabinet, has published guidelines on innovative drug pricing that a bank analyst has described as the “most significant” in a decade, as they aim to reward drug innovation and ease pricing tension for domestic and multinational pharmaceutical companies. The framework document published this month said patented innovative drugs would be supported through value-based pricing, while the prices of generic drugs would be driven down through market competition and... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350956/multinational-pharmaceutical-companies-benefit-new-china-guidelines-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350956/multinational-pharmaceutical-companies-benefit-new-china-guidelines-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:00:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A quarter featuring multiple eye-popping deals is no longer unusual for China’s pharmaceutical industry – in fact, it may soon be considered a slow season. In recent months, companies including CSPC Pharmaceutical and RemeGen have struck out-licensing agreements worth up to US$18.5 billion and US$5.6 billion respectively, while Haisco Pharmaceutical Group has added two of its own — most recently a deal worth up to US$745 million. Under the terms of the deal, the Beijing-based Haisco granted US... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350421/chinas-biotech-firms-shift-gears-can-ai-floor-accelerator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350421/chinas-biotech-firms-shift-gears-can-ai-floor-accelerator?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 03:00:12 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Global pharmaceutical companies posted mixed earnings in China last year, with some firms warning that 2026 will be another tough year as Beijing pushes for affordable healthcare through price bargains. Multinational corporations (MNCs) with innovative drug pipelines and the ability to quickly address unmet medical needs were expected to outperform rivals relying on mature and off-patent products this year, according to Bruce Liu, senior partner at global consulting firm Simon-Kucher. His... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349163/global-drug-makers-face-pricing-pressure-china-targets-affordable-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349163/global-drug-makers-face-pricing-pressure-china-targets-affordable-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 02:00:19 +0000 Julie Zhang,Daniel Ren Julie Zhang,Daniel Ren Biotech firm Hangzhou Diagens Biotechnology is banking on artificial intelligence-powered chromosome testing to drive profit growth following its Hong Kong listing, as China’s falling fertility rate spurs demand for assisted reproduction. “In China, many young people do not want to marry or have children, and by the time they decide to start a family, they need medical help to do so,” said Diagens’ founder and executive director Song Ning. “We are meeting an increasing number of couples every... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348335/chinese-company-use-ai-powered-chromosome-testing-boost-profits-and-fast-track-ivf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348335/chinese-company-use-ai-powered-chromosome-testing-boost-profits-and-fast-track-ivf?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:45:34 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang At least 10 weight-loss injections and oral pills are lining up for regulatory approval in China, in a market projected to reach about US$14 billion by 2030. Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster semaglutide, which generated about US$35 billion in global revenue last year, lost patent protection in China on March 20, clearing the way for rivals. The rush comes as China’s drug regulator accelerates approvals of innovative therapies, helped by a surge in out-licensing deals with global pharmaceutical... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347869/chinas-weight-loss-drug-makers-take-global-giants-novo-nordisk-patent-expires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347869/chinas-weight-loss-drug-makers-take-global-giants-novo-nordisk-patent-expires?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang More than 10 loss-making biotechnology companies have filed for Hong Kong stock exchange listings this year, bringing cutting-edge drugs and artificial intelligence-powered drug discovery platforms to market, as the city’s bourse presses ahead with reforms aimed at supporting the real economy. The latest applications came as healthcare and biotechnology equity capital market activity – stock sales by companies and their shareholders – in Hong Kong reached US$15.6 billion last year, the second... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346710/hong-kong-attracts-wave-biotech-ipo-filings-amid-ai-drug-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346710/hong-kong-attracts-wave-biotech-ipo-filings-amid-ai-drug-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:07:12 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang In a landmark development, Neuracle Medical Technology has secured the country’s first-ever approval for an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) system designed to restore hand motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries, in a regulatory milestone that underscores China’s accelerating push in neurotechnology. China’s BCI start-ups, seen as potential rivals to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are gaining momentum as regulatory support and fresh capital fuel growth. Shares of BCI companies... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346495/first-china-neuracles-implantable-brain-computer-interface-wins-approval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346495/first-china-neuracles-implantable-brain-computer-interface-wins-approval?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:30:13 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Mainland Chinese investors can now buy shares in more than a dozen newly added Hong Kong-listed biotech and pharmaceutical companies after a reshuffle of the Stock Connect southbound trading list took effect on Monday, reflecting the sector’s growing role on the international stage. Foreign capital, however, remained cautious, analysts said. “Mainland buyers have been the main force behind the latest healthcare rally. They tend to chase smaller-cap names where a tight free float makes it easier... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346016/china-investors-energise-hong-kong-biotech-stocks-foreign-money-missing-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346016/china-investors-energise-hong-kong-biotech-stocks-foreign-money-missing-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 23:30:07 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Hong Kong-listed Insilico Medicine has signed a cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates’ drug regulator to advance the use of its artificial intelligence tools in drug discovery across the region, even as geopolitical tensions escalate in the Middle East. Shares of Insilico rose as much as 12.8 per cent in morning trading on Thursday before paring gains to close 8.6 per cent higher at HK$56.10. The advance outpaced the benchmark Hang Seng Index, which edged up 0.3 per cent. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345614/insilico-medicine-advances-middle-east-push-uae-ai-drug-discovery-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345614/insilico-medicine-advances-middle-east-push-uae-ai-drug-discovery-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:30:07 +0000 Yulu Ao,Julie Zhang Yulu Ao,Julie Zhang Mainland China and Hong Kong should ease listing rules for biotechnology companies and lower takeover thresholds for listed firms to capitalise on renewed foreign interest in the healthcare sector, venture capitalist Nisa Leung said. “Besides artificial intelligence, Premier Li Qiang also highlighted biomedicine in the ‘two sessions’ annual government work report,” said Leung, a managing partner at Aulis Capital. “We are paying attention to medical insurance and commercial insurance, but at the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345589/china-and-hong-kong-should-relax-biotech-listing-rules-venture-capitalist-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345589/china-and-hong-kong-should-relax-biotech-listing-rules-venture-capitalist-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:59:42 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang The pace and size of outlicensing deals between Chinese drug makers and global partners have accelerated this year, highlighted by two agreements announced this week, each worth more than US$1 billion. The string of deals shows how China is becoming a sought-after source of drug candidates for multinational pharmaceutical companies, which are increasingly looking for long-term partnerships rather than one-off arrangements, analysts said. The latest deals, Sino Biopharmaceutical’s agreement with... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345404/china-outlicensing-tops-us52-billion-first-two-months-rise-global-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345404/china-outlicensing-tops-us52-billion-first-two-months-rise-global-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:30:11 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Ahead of China’s annual legislative meetings – typically a window into Beijing’s top-level policy agenda – this is the eighth entry in a series examining the complex economic recalibration driving China’s growth philosophy and its wide-ranging implications for local governments, financial investors and private enterprises. Investors are watching Beijing’s annual “two sessions” this week for signs that the country will address drug pricing and shore up its drug payment system, as a new form of... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345310/healthcare-investors-keeping-eye-two-sessions-clarity-drug-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345310/healthcare-investors-keeping-eye-two-sessions-clarity-drug-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:44:27 +0000 Julie Zhang,Alice Li Julie Zhang,Alice Li In barely a decade, China has transformed from a maker of cheap generic copies of Western medicines into a global powerhouse of pharmaceutical innovation. The country now only trails the United States in novel drugs under development, with a 29 per cent share, according to McKinsey. International pharmaceutical companies are beating a path to China’s shores to license next-generation treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases and other disorders. Government support, including regulatory and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/china-business/article/3342868/china-challenges-us-new-drugs-after-industry-transformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/china-business/article/3342868/china-challenges-us-new-drugs-after-industry-transformation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese drug makers’ licensing deals more than doubled in 2025 from a year earlier to a record high, propelled by dozens of multibillion-dollar agreements between Hong Kong and mainland China-listed firms and global pharmaceutical giants. Last year, 157 out-licensing deals worth US$135.7 billion were signed, compared with 94 transactions worth US$51.9 billion in 2024, state media reported, citing data released by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), China’s drugs regulator, last... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339011/chinese-drug-makers-strike-record-us136-billion-out-licensing-deals-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339011/chinese-drug-makers-strike-record-us136-billion-out-licensing-deals-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Mainland China’s 17 million Alzheimer’s patients can, for the first time, pay less out of pocket for a costly drug touted as “historic” and “the beginning of the end” for the memory-robbing disease after Beijing launched a commercial insurance innovative drug list in an effort to make medicines more accessible and affordable. Leqembi, developed by Japan’s Eisai and costing a mainland Chinese patient about US$28,400 a year, could see its price cut by half after it was added to the inaugural... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336397/chinas-new-drug-insurance-lifeline-patients-or-squeeze-big-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336397/chinas-new-drug-insurance-lifeline-patients-or-squeeze-big-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:30:07 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan China’s pharmaceutical industry is on the brink of enormous growth and transformation. In just a few years, it has moved on from being the world’s cheapest source of active pharmaceutical ingredients to becoming a major hub for pharmaceutical innovation – a place where new, more effective drugs are born. It is now the second-largest developer of drugs, trailing only the United States. In the global drug development pipeline, China’s growth rate is phenomenal, leaping from 3 per cent in 2013 to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3334948/how-china-went-generic-drug-factory-biomedicine-innovator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3334948/how-china-went-generic-drug-factory-biomedicine-innovator?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial A major overhaul of public hospital fees comes into effect in the new year. If it achieves its goal, it will improve public health services while reducing the government’s healthcare subsidy from 97 per cent to 90 per cent over five years. Those are worthy targets. But to achieve them, some charges are bound to rise. Rightly, the reform has attracted close scrutiny. It is important that it strikes a balance between social fairness and value for spending on public health. Diagnostic radiology has... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3334536/hospital-fee-reform-must-balance-social-fairness-budgetary-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3334536/hospital-fee-reform-must-balance-social-fairness-budgetary-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:45:15 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China’s growing pipeline of novel drug candidates is expected to draw increased attention from global pharmaceutical companies and investors scouting for licensing opportunities, as the country’s clinical trial capacity has expanded to match those in the US. That assessment was made by Shanghai-based Helen Chen, Greater China managing partner at L.E.K. Consulting, one of the most respected analysts in the mainland’s life sciences industry. “There is increased interest from multinational... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333438/chinas-clinical-trial-capacity-matches-us-attracts-more-global-pharma-firms-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333438/chinas-clinical-trial-capacity-matches-us-attracts-more-global-pharma-firms-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 23:30:16 +0000 Eric Ng,Julie Zhang Eric Ng,Julie Zhang The ferocity of China’s biopharmaceutical investment boom this year – fuelled by record-breaking licensing of commercial rights to global giants after a three-year slump – may have surprised casual observers. But according to Helen Chen, one of the most respected analysts and advisers in China’s life sciences space, the supercharged sector’s real renaissance came two years earlier. In December 2022, US drug maker MSD agreed to license global (excluding China) rights to develop and commercialise... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3331950/six-best-how-chinas-new-biotech-vanguard-banking-billions-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3331950/six-best-how-chinas-new-biotech-vanguard-banking-billions-breakthroughs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and how foreign investors are likely to be affected. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year-plan and more premium content, click here. Sun... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328532/what-chinas-next-5-year-plan-means-foreign-investors-quantity-quality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328532/what-chinas-next-5-year-plan-means-foreign-investors-quantity-quality?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 22:00:19 +0000 Eric Ng,Julie Zhang Eric Ng,Julie Zhang When Zhao Hong, chief doctor of China’s leading cancer hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, told his fellow delegates at a Communist Party meeting in March that a little-known Guangzhou biotech firm’s cancer drug had beaten the world’s bestselling medicine, investors took notice. “As a long-serving front-line doctor, my most profound feeling is that China is at the best time of its biopharmaceutical sector’s development,” he told state media on the sidelines of the annual Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3327701/chinas-biotech-renaissance-rising-drug-creation-prowess-attracts-global-notice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3327701/chinas-biotech-renaissance-rising-drug-creation-prowess-attracts-global-notice?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Biomap, a biotechnology start-up co-established by Baidu founder Robin Li Yanhong and backed by the Hong Kong government, says it has surpassed Alphabet subsidiary AlphaFold in commercialising artificial intelligence foundation models for drug discovery. Multinational pharmaceutical companies were seeing a “reverse” in the technological gap between Biomap and AlphaFold, Wei Liu, co-founder and CEO of Biomap and former CEO of Baidu Ventures, said in an interview with the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327390/baidu-backed-drug-discovery-start-biomap-challenges-googles-alphafold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327390/baidu-backed-drug-discovery-start-biomap-challenges-googles-alphafold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Shuimu BioSciences, a Chinese start-up specialising in advanced imaging devices for viruses and smaller biomolecules, is aiming for an initial public offering in 2027 after selling its first self-developed product this year, according to CEO Allen Guo Chunlong. The company focuses on cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), a technique that involves firing beams of electrons at flash-frozen specimens to capture thousands of images. The images are then used to reconstruct precise three-dimensional... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3325753/chinese-start-breaks-us-monopoly-3d-imaging-biomolecules-aims-ipo-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3325753/chinese-start-breaks-us-monopoly-3d-imaging-biomolecules-aims-ipo-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s push to become a biotech powerhouse is paying off, with innovative R&D pipelines and newly approved drugs accounting for over 30 per cent of the global total, according to the country’s top economic planner. The sector was showing strong momentum, said Xiang Libin, deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), who cited the figures at the 17th China Bioindustry Convention in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Thursday. China’s bioeconomy, encompassing the research,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324465/china-closes-biotech-gap-us-new-drugs-rd-pipelines-top-30-global-total?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324465/china-closes-biotech-gap-us-new-drugs-rd-pipelines-top-30-global-total?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:30:16 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3320952/china-cash-biomedicines-patent-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3320952/china-cash-biomedicines-patent-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:02:50 +0000 Carl Hildebrand,Rebecca Brendel Carl Hildebrand,Rebecca Brendel Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to lead the world in AI-based advances in healthcare. This was the view expressed by experts at the recent annual Asia Summit on Global Health. Firms like Bain and Company similarly see diverse patient populations and strong government support as key advantages in the Asia-Pacific’s development as a hub for medical technology innovation. This raises big hopes and important ethical questions about AI’s role in the future of healthcare. As Hong Kong strives to lead... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319328/how-hong-kong-can-lead-patient-focused-ethical-ai-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319328/how-hong-kong-can-lead-patient-focused-ethical-ai-healthcare?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Beijing’s move to simplify the process for approving oral proprietary Chinese medicine (PCM) from Hong Kong to be sold across the border has created new opportunities for firms in the city to exploit the mainland’s 450 billion yuan (US$62.8 billion) market, according to Hong Kong’s trade promotion body. The streamlined procedures have opened a more convenient channel for Hong Kong companies to expand into the mainland, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in a report published on... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319483/hong-kong-firms-eye-proprietary-chinese-medicine-opportunities-mainland-hktdc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319483/hong-kong-firms-eye-proprietary-chinese-medicine-opportunities-mainland-hktdc?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:30:15 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is making inroads in the race for innovative pharmaceuticals, with a record number of drug approvals this year amid growing appeals for multinational giants to run onshore research entities. Authorities approved 43 innovative drugs in the first half of 2025, marking a 59 per cent year-on-year increase and nearly matching the total of 48 approvals for all of last year, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday, citing data from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Many of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319431/china-approving-innovative-drugs-record-pace-discovery-momentum-shifts-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319431/china-approving-innovative-drugs-record-pace-discovery-momentum-shifts-west?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:00:11 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Beijing’s plan to publish China’s first list of innovative drugs eligible for coverage by commercial health insurance will draw keen interest from pharmaceutical companies, but is not a “magic wand”, as insurers lack sufficient incentives to provide the coverage, analysts said. The National Healthcare Security Administration, in charge of the state-run basic healthcare insurance scheme, said in a policy document on July 1 that it would publish the list this year, primarily including drugs that... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3318950/chinas-plan-boost-drug-coverage-commercial-insurers-no-magic-wand-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3318950/chinas-plan-boost-drug-coverage-commercial-insurers-no-magic-wand-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 04:30:09 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng A couple of health and medical device start-ups that got their start at the Chinese University of Hong Kong are seeking to enter the growing markets for elderly care and rehabilitation by selling their “wearable robotics” technologies. Established last year, RT HealthTech has developed several soft inflatable joint support products. It plans to start selling them in two months, targeting elderly people with weaker joints and those with minor injuries who want to keep exercising to maintain... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3318712/cuhk-start-ups-eye-silver-economys-need-wearable-robotics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3318712/cuhk-start-ups-eye-silver-economys-need-wearable-robotics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to advance the “high-quality development” of China’s marine economy, highlighting its growing strategic importance during a high-level economic meeting on Tuesday. He also called for stronger policy support to accelerate the sector’s growth. In this explainer, the Post examines why the marine economy matters to the country's overall economic strategy, where government policy is heading, and which sectors stand to benefit. Why does the marine economy... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316669/why-president-xi-jinping-sees-chinas-marine-economy-national-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316669/why-president-xi-jinping-sees-chinas-marine-economy-national-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:30:13 +0000 Matt Haldane Matt Haldane Peter Diamandis, the entrepreneur behind the XPrize Foundation, has long championed a future of technological promise, building a career on innovation competitions meant to solve grand challenges. But in a recent conversation in Hong Kong, a subtle shift in tone emerged as he addressed the current complexities of global scientific collaboration, clouded by geopolitical tensions and the looming threat of technological decoupling. “One of the things that is important to realise is that human... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3312526/xprize-founder-peter-diamandis-projects-hope-ai-biotech-amid-us-china-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3312526/xprize-founder-peter-diamandis-projects-hope-ai-biotech-amid-us-china-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 01:00:18 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Chinese drug developers with product and cost advantages could emerge unscathed from US President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to slash prices of medicines, bring back manufacturing jobs and potentially slap tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, analysts said. US consumers would pay no more than drug prices charged in other high-income nations, which Trump said on Sunday were 30 to 80 per cent cheaper than in the US. The move raised concerns that profits of firms across the supply chain would be... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3310017/big-china-pharma-firms-can-withstand-trump-policies-product-cost-advantages-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3310017/big-china-pharma-firms-can-withstand-trump-policies-product-cost-advantages-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 23:30:07 +0000 A US congressional commission has urged lawmakers to take action to counter China’s “frightening” ascent in biotechnology, flagging Chinese firms including WuXi AppTec and BioMap, as the tech rivalry between the two major powers continues to escalate. China was “quickly ascending to biotechnology dominance” and the US must “take swift action in the next three years” to maintain its competitiveness, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) said in a report published on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3305842/us-report-warns-frightening-china-biotech-rise-urges-action-boost-local-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3305842/us-report-warns-frightening-china-biotech-rise-urges-action-boost-local-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:00:17 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Licensing deals struck by Chinese biotech start-ups with overseas partners could potentially fetch billions in revenue if their drug candidates are successfully developed and launched, according to analysts. “One of the few highlights in the lacklustre sector was the strong deal flow from Chinese sellers to overseas buyers – mostly from the US – of preclinical or clinical-stage molecules, on so-called asset out-licensing or business development,” Zhang Jialin, head of China healthcare research,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3296809/chinese-biotech-firms-cash-promising-drug-discoveries-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3296809/chinese-biotech-firms-cash-promising-drug-discoveries-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 09:00:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s financial centre Shanghai aims to expand into a medical artificial intelligence (AI) hub in the next two years, as the nation’s healthcare sector adopts the rapidly advancing technology to improve diagnoses and treatment. The city aims to establish itself as a “globally influential” centre for medical AI before 2027, the municipal government said earlier this week. Strategies laid out in the two-year work plan include deepening frontier research and building computing power clusters and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3292460/us-china-tech-war-shanghai-aims-be-global-medical-ai-hub-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3292460/us-china-tech-war-shanghai-aims-be-global-medical-ai-hub-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:30:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Hong Kong residents’ willingness in taking the latest Covid-19 vaccine is lower than in Singapore, but higher compared with other Asian markets, according to a new survey by US pharmaceutical giant Moderna, which called on vulnerable groups to get inoculated. Moderna found 52 per cent of Hong Kong respondents said they were willing to get the updated vaccine when it becomes available, while 58 per cent of those surveyed in Singapore were inclined to take the latest jab, according to the findings... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3289367/hong-kong-residents-reticent-get-latest-covid-19-jab-moderna-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3289367/hong-kong-residents-reticent-get-latest-covid-19-jab-moderna-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:00:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese authorities rolled out the red carpet for French pharmaceutical and healthcare giant Sanofi, which plans to invest around 1 billion euros (US$1.05 billion) to build a new insulin plant in Beijing – the company’s single biggest capital outlay in the world’s second-largest economy. Vice-Premier He Lifeng on Tuesday told Sanofi chairman Frédéric Oudéa that China will continue to improve its operating environment for businesses and welcome European firms in the country, according to a Xinhua... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3289203/china-welcomes-new-us1-billion-sanofi-project-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3289203/china-welcomes-new-us1-billion-sanofi-project-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:00:09 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng China has added dozens of new drugs to its health insurance reimbursement list, signalling support for innovative treatments while keeping a tight control on spending. The National Healthcare Security Administration on Thursday pre-approved 91 medicines, taking the total to 3,159. Meanwhile, 43 drugs that have with better alternatives or that are no longer manufactured were ejected. The additions comprise 26 anti-tumour drugs, 15 for treating diabetes and other chronic diseases, 13 rare disease... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3288691/china-expands-health-insurance-coverage-91-new-drugs-breakthrough-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3288691/china-expands-health-insurance-coverage-91-new-drugs-breakthrough-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:42:27 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng The US profits of Chinese biotech firms, including makers of medical devices, are under threat from the incoming Trump administration’s plans to increase tariffs on Chinese products, as well as a bill that would limit government-funded sourcing of Chinese research and manufacturing services, according to analysts. However, Chinese companies’ efforts to expand product development and sales of high-value products in China and other overseas markets would cushion the blow, they... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/biomedicine/article/3287492/chinese-biotech-firms-brace-profit-hit-trump-tariffs-us-funding-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/biomedicine/article/3287492/chinese-biotech-firms-brace-profit-hit-trump-tariffs-us-funding-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:30:07 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen spent a record amount on research and development (R&D) last year, rivalling Beijing’s level and vastly exceeding that of neighbouring Hong Kong to cement its position as a national research mecca. Shenzhen’s R&D expenditure jumped to 223.66 billion yuan (US$30.93 billion) in 2023, surpassing the 200-billion-yuan mark for the first time and up by nearly 19 per cent from the previous year, according to government data released last week. R&D made up just under... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286417/shenzhens-soaring-rd-spending-rivals-beijing-dwarfs-hong-kong-amid-chinas-tech-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286417/shenzhens-soaring-rd-spending-rivals-beijing-dwarfs-hong-kong-amid-chinas-tech-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 13:00:12 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng An ageing population and the rapid advancement of digital technology have given Hong Kong health and medical technology start-ups ample opportunities to develop wearable devices that help with disease diagnosis and in-home rehabilitation. Some, such as Well Being Digital (WBD), are also taking advantage of a 2021 regulatory move that allows drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals to be deployed in designated mainland healthcare institutions in the Greater Bay Area without... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/biomedicine/article/3284849/hong-kong-health-tech-start-ups-innovate-digital-wearables-ageing-population?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/biomedicine/article/3284849/hong-kong-health-tech-start-ups-innovate-digital-wearables-ageing-population?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2024 02:30:07 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Shanghai’s municipal government seeks to encourage local biopharmaceutical firms to get their products certified by the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, as part of a broad plan to enhance the city’s “international competitiveness” in this field. According to the government’s 2024-2027 action plan published on Thursday, Shanghai will boost support for local biopharmaceutical companies to have their drugs and medical devices approved in overseas markets. This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284674/shanghai-support-local-biopharma-firms-overseas-push-regulatory-product-compliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284674/shanghai-support-local-biopharma-firms-overseas-push-regulatory-product-compliance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2024 23:00:15 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Focused ultrasound, a non-invasive medical treatment supported by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, is being recognised as a commercially attractive alternative to traditional therapies for many diseases including cancer, according to an expert. As the number of treatments and clinical trials have increased in recent years, the developers of devices that generate high-intensity sound waves to target and ablate diseased tissues have attracted investments, according to Neal Kassell, founder and... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3280300/ultrasound-cancer-treatment-supported-li-ka-shing-gains-traction-asia-us-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3280300/ultrasound-cancer-treatment-supported-li-ka-shing-gains-traction-asia-us-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2024 06:00:19 +0000 The Biosecure Act, recently passed by the US House of Representatives, marks a significant escalation in efforts to decouple the American and Chinese biotech ecosystems. The bill, which passed with strong bipartisan support, would prohibit federal funding for US companies that do business with several named Chinese biotech firms, including industry giants Wuxi AppTec and BGI Genomics. This move reflects growing concerns in Washington about China’s ambitions in the life sciences and the potential... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3279475/biotech-next-battleground-us-china-decoupling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3279475/biotech-next-battleground-us-china-decoupling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Sep 2024 21:30:07 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong China is rapidly narrowing the gap with the United States in medical research publications, a trend fuelled by both government policies and the development of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a top scientific publisher. Marie Souliere, head of editorial ethics and quality assurance at Frontiers, one of the biggest academic publishers in the world, said she had seen China’s overall research output slowly overtake that of the US, and the lead was most striking in the field of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3279386/chinas-strides-academic-research-signal-narrowing-us-lead-medical-science?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3279386/chinas-strides-academic-research-signal-narrowing-us-lead-medical-science?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:00:10 +0000 Beijing has called for measures to boost the development of venture capital and stressed the need for so-called patient capital to support the growth of science and technology companies, as China’s vision of achieving technological strength still faces challenges in its capital market activities. Premier Li Qiang told a State Council executive meeting on Wednesday that Beijing would further facilitate fundraising, investment and management, as well as mechanisms for venture capital firms to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3279153/china-eyes-sci-tech-venture-capital-boost-industrial-upgrade-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3279153/china-eyes-sci-tech-venture-capital-boost-industrial-upgrade-economic-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:26:53 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), a government-owned fund that manages HK$62 billion (US$8 billion) in assets, has struck a deal with a biotechnology firm started by Chinese internet giant Baidu founder Robin Li Yanhong, the fund’s second public move as the city seeks to boost its technology sector. The partnership will see Beijing-based Biomap set up an accelerator called BioMap InnoHub, which will aim to support over 50 early-stage research and development (R&D) projects in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3267756/hong-kongs-us8-billion-government-fund-inks-deal-beijing-biotech-start-city-aims-tech-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3267756/hong-kongs-us8-billion-government-fund-inks-deal-beijing-biotech-start-city-aims-tech-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 02:51:01 +0000 Hong Kong has attracted 45 life-science technology companies to set up or expand in the city, investing HK$6.5 billion (US$832 million) since last year in what officials said is a global positive response to their effort to make Hong Kong a life and health innovation hub. The investments will yield around 3,200 jobs in the coming years, according to data from the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (Oases) and InvestHK, the agency in charge of attracting foreign investment. Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3261904/hong-kong-attracts-us832-million-investment-life-science-technology-firms-setting-or-expanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3261904/hong-kong-attracts-us832-million-investment-life-science-technology-firms-setting-or-expanding?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2024 11:18:33 +0000 Shanghai, mainland China’s commercial and financial hub, plans to set up a 100 billion yuan (US$13.8 billion) fund of funds focusing on key technology sectors to fire up the local economy, which is lagging behind the rest of the country. The fund will underpin promising start-ups in the fields of artificial intelligence, biotechnology and semiconductors, and is expected to attract more technology firms to Shanghai, the municipal government said in a statement on Friday. The local state-owned... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3257241/shanghai-planning-us138-billion-fund-funds-pursuit-several-world-class-industry-clusters-eye-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3257241/shanghai-planning-us138-billion-fund-funds-pursuit-several-world-class-industry-clusters-eye-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:01:21 +0000