https://www.scmp.com/rss/519769/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 Alex Lo Alex Lo After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, which almost doubled the size of the United States’ territory, US president Thomas Jefferson commissioned the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition, which surveyed new routes from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. It also carried out work in agriculture, ethnography (with indigenous peoples) and geography. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, that was the kind of science the US government was willing to pay for – practical,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren The cross-border outlicensing activities of Chinese biotech firms reached a record transaction value of US$60 billion in the first quarter of 2026, driven by multinational pharmaceutical companies’ growing appetite for the country’s promising drug candidates. The deal value represented a 73 per cent jump from the same period a year earlier, and accounted for nearly half of the total US$135.7 billion worth of agreements signed throughout 2025, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348295/china-biotech-deals-hit-record-innovative-drugs-draw-interest-multinationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348295/china-biotech-deals-hit-record-innovative-drugs-draw-interest-multinationals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:26:21 +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 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese scientists have used a cutting-edge gene-editing tool to correct a DNA mutation responsible for cognitive and behavioural problems – a move that could eventually lead to the development of new autism therapies. In lab tests, mice that had been engineered to have the mutation showed a striking change in their behaviour, such as the way they interacted with other mice, after being given an injection to introduce the edited genes. The Shanghai-based research team is looking for ways to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344950/cutting-edge-chinese-gene-editing-technique-raises-prospect-new-autism-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3344950/cutting-edge-chinese-gene-editing-technique-raises-prospect-new-autism-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 04:00:21 +0000 Wang Wen Wang Wen After a year of Trump 2.0, China has much to be thankful for. This is not an endorsement of US hegemony but an expression of confidence in China’s increased resilience – and an acknowledgement of the US policies that pushed China there. The Chinese government’s stance towards Trump 2.0 remains the same: to adhere to its own principles, respond rationally and look to turn any crisis into an opportunity. For a start, Trump 2.0’s tariff war on China has backfired. All it did was force China to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340739/how-trump-20-accelerated-chinas-push-tech-and-trade-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340739/how-trump-20-accelerated-chinas-push-tech-and-trade-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Structural biologist Alexey Amunts – an expert in mitochondrial biochemistry – has joined the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART). Amunts, who holds research position in Germany, confirmed he joined SMART in January this year as a full-time senior investigator and would “contribute to its international relations agenda”. He is internationally recognised for high-resolution structural studies of the molecular machines that underpin cellular energy conversion and protein... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339717/resolution-revolution-pioneer-alexey-amunts-leaves-max-planck-join-chinas-smart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339717/resolution-revolution-pioneer-alexey-amunts-leaves-max-planck-join-chinas-smart?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:00:27 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A partnership between China’s SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday has revived hopes for treating Alzheimer’s disease, which affects some 55 million people worldwide and could cost the global economy US$2.8 trillion by 2030. The deal, worth nearly US$1.7 billion, grants Novartis exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise SciNeuro’s antibody candidates to develop drugs for the progressive brain disease. SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339691/chinas-scineuro-novartis-sign-us17-billion-licensing-deal-develop-alzheimers-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339691/chinas-scineuro-novartis-sign-us17-billion-licensing-deal-develop-alzheimers-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:11:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Newly Hong Kong-listed biotech firm Insilico Medicine is expected to receive up to US$888 million from a French drug maker under a partnership using Insilico’s proprietary artificial intelligence platform to discover and develop novel cancer drugs. The deal comes just days after the US company’s shares debuted following its initial public offering (IPO), which raised HK$2.28 billion (US$293 million) after the public portion was oversubscribed 1,427 times. The multi-year partnership with Servier,... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3338728/insilico-signs-us888-million-ai-drug-development-deal-days-after-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3338728/insilico-signs-us888-million-ai-drug-development-deal-days-after-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 04:46:54 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China’s biopharmaceutical sector is said to have entered an “innovation 2.0” phase as it moves to a commercialisation mindset that could see it sideline global competitors and outpace the US – despite restrictive trade policies. In recent years, innovative drug development in the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market has rapidly approached – and in some cases surpassed – that of the United States, the world’s biggest market. Growing concerns over China’s biotech capabilities have led the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338481/chinas-biopharma-sector-prime-position-challenge-us-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3338481/chinas-biopharma-sector-prime-position-challenge-us-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Biotech firm Insilico Medicine, backed by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), is building a “digital Einstein” to revolutionise how scientists discover new medicines, and plans to continue expanding its research base in China to stay ahead of global rivals after its Hong Kong listing on Tuesday. “Biotechnology is a high-risk field like a ‘molecular casino’,” said founder Alex Zhavoronkov. “Even with artificial intelligence, you can lose 90 per cent of the time.” The 11-year-old company... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337942/china-vital-insilicos-plan-build-biotechs-ai-einstein-drug-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337942/china-vital-insilicos-plan-build-biotechs-ai-einstein-drug-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 02:13:46 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese drugmakers have signed a late-year burst of out-licensing agreements with overseas partners, underlining China’s growing role as a source of novel medicines as multinational pharma groups hunt for new assets. Jacobio Pharmaceuticals said it expected to receive an upfront payment of US$100 million from AstraZeneca, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on December 21. The British-Swedish drugmaker was paying for exclusive rights to research, develop, register, manufacture... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337756/chinas-rising-biotech-clout-show-flurry-billion-dollar-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337756/chinas-rising-biotech-clout-show-flurry-billion-dollar-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 02:47:50 +0000 Julie Zhang,Eunice Xu Julie Zhang,Eunice Xu If pharmaceutical drug patents are an hourglass turned over on the day of approval – with the approaching loss of exclusivity known in the industry as the “patent cliff” – then Big Pharma is currently watching the final grains of sand slipping through the neck of the glass. At the bottom of the hourglass awaits an unforgiving world of generic and biosimilar competition. Between 2025 and 2030, the patent cliff is set to be one of the biggest since 2010 by revenue at risk, according to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337038/patent-cliffhanger-will-china-biotech-throw-big-pharma-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337038/patent-cliffhanger-will-china-biotech-throw-big-pharma-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Chinese scientists have turned allergy into a powerful weapon against cancer to deliver drugs and turbocharge the body’s own immune attack on cancer. The team loaded mast cells – which cause allergic symptoms when they encounter antigens such as seafood and pollen – with anticancer drugs to deliver them into tumours. The researchers said they were working on clinical applications, including exploring its potential combination with existing cancer immunotherapies. The scientists from Zhejiang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336725/how-chinese-scientists-turn-annoying-allergy-powerful-weapon-against-cancer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336725/how-chinese-scientists-turn-annoying-allergy-powerful-weapon-against-cancer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:03:59 +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 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A Chinese biopharmaceutical firm has sealed a global licensing deal valued at up to US$1.44 billion, the second in a week, as a wave of cross-border tie-ups shows no sign of abating despite headwinds from the US Biosecure Act. Shanghai Scizeng Medical Technology, a unit of Changchun High-Tech Industry, has agreed to grant US-based Yarrow Bioscience exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise GenSci098, an injectable therapy for thyroid eye disease and Graves’ disease, both... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336609/chinese-biotech-scizengs-global-licensing-deal-yield-us144-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336609/chinese-biotech-scizengs-global-licensing-deal-yield-us144-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:47:10 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng In an attempt to solve the global fertility crisis, Chinese scientists have developed a balm for testicles they say can boost sperm activity. The lotion they developed for external application significantly enhanced sperm quality in both animal trials and in vitro studies, regardless of whether the decline in function was caused by exposure to heavy metals, plasticisers, heat stress or natural ageing, the researchers said. The findings of the study, conducted by researchers from several domestic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336452/worldwide-sperm-quality-decline-can-easy-use-balm-china-solve-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336452/worldwide-sperm-quality-decline-can-easy-use-balm-china-solve-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:31:34 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang US pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer has agreed to pay up to US$2.1 billion to Shanghai-based Fosun Pharma’s unit Yao Pharma for an experimental oral obesity drug, underscoring the growing trend of Chinese drug makers selling early-stage assets to global multinationals. Under the licensing agreement, Yao Pharma would grant Pfizer an exclusive worldwide licence for the development, use, manufacturing and commercialisation of oral small-molecule drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, including... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335836/chinas-fosun-pharma-unit-strikes-us21-billion-obesity-drug-deal-pfizer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335836/chinas-fosun-pharma-unit-strikes-us21-billion-obesity-drug-deal-pfizer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:15:14 +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 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese drug maker 3SBio plans to raise HK$3.12 billion (US$401 million) by selling a 4.14 per cent stake in the company to fund clinical research in China and the US and expand the global reach of its drug portfolio. The Shenyang-based biopharmaceutical firm has agreed to sell 105.1 million new shares at HK$29.62 each. The placing price represents a 6.5 per cent discount compared with Monday’s closing price of HK$31.68, according to its filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3334844/chinas-3sbio-seeks-us400-million-hong-kong-boost-drug-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3334844/chinas-3sbio-seeks-us400-million-hong-kong-boost-drug-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 03:47:23 +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 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A Hong Kong biotechnology company behind a controversial human papillomavirus (HPV) screening method involving sanitary pads has said it will present its research to the government after authorities warned against using products that lacked scientific evidence. Dr Choi Pui-wah, the founder of WomenX Biotech, also said on Tuesday that the government’s dismissal of the technology would not dampen her view of Hong Kong as a destination for innovation. WomenX, the firm known for its sanitary pad... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330646/hong-kong-biotech-firm-back-controversial-sanitary-pad-hpv-test-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330646/hong-kong-biotech-firm-back-controversial-sanitary-pad-hpv-test-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:37:07 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), a fast-growing next-generation cancer treatment, have become an investment hotspot due to its potential to become mainstream globally, according to biopharmaceutical industry insiders. To achieve sustainable growth and maximise revenue potential, companies should pursue differentiated product development and a global clinical strategy, according to Duality Biotherapeutics, which organised a biotech forum in Shanghai last week. The Shanghai-based company – which... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3330377/china-biotech-forum-bills-antibody-cancer-drugs-next-generation-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3330377/china-biotech-forum-bills-antibody-cancer-drugs-next-generation-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Shares of Chinese drug firm Akeso – likened by some Western media outlets to artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek – rose after the company unveiled clinical-trial data showing that its lung-cancer drug outperformed a highly effective existing treatment. The data showed that ivonescimab had “a decisive and strong positive outcome with both significant and clinically meaningful benefits”, Akeso said in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday. The drug, used along with... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3329639/chinas-akeso-dubbed-biotechs-deepseek-gets-share-boost-cancer-drug-trial-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3329639/chinas-akeso-dubbed-biotechs-deepseek-gets-share-boost-cancer-drug-trial-data?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:00:12 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Two Chinese drug developers have signed licensing deals that could yield as much as US$2.5 billion in performance-based payments, underscoring growing international confidence in China’s life sciences sector. Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group has agreed to license global rights – excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – to develop and market a colon cancer drug candidate to F Hoffmann-La Roche, a unit of Swiss-based biotech giant Roche. Hansoh, a major psychotropic and cancer drugs... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3329353/chinas-hansoh-and-leads-biolabs-clinch-us25-billion-global-drug-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3329353/chinas-hansoh-and-leads-biolabs-clinch-us25-billion-global-drug-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 05:06:08 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Time Medical Systems, a Hong Kong maker of advanced medical devices co-founded by US-trained Chinese academics, is seeking a new site to expand production as it eyes a 30-fold increase in sales of its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in the next few years. The company is commercialising superconductor materials and magnet technologies that can slash the production and operating costs of such scanners while also cutting turnaround time, part of an effort to make early disease diagnosis... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328747/hong-kong-mri-maker-time-medical-seeks-new-site-it-eyes-30-fold-sales-increase-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328747/hong-kong-mri-maker-time-medical-seeks-new-site-it-eyes-30-fold-sales-increase-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 03:30:12 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Cancer screening device developer Mirxes Holding has won approval from Beijing to launch a gastric cancer test, the first blood test for the disease in China’s vast oncology diagnostics market. Its leading product, GastroClear, an in-house-developed non-invasive blood test, was approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China, the Singapore-based micro ribonucleic acid (miRNA) technology firm said in a filing to Hong Kong’s stock exchange on Thursday. “GastroClear is the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328316/mirxes-wins-chinas-approval-launch-groundbreaking-blood-test-gastric-cancer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328316/mirxes-wins-chinas-approval-launch-groundbreaking-blood-test-gastric-cancer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 05:03:55 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Focused ultrasound (FUS) therapy, a sound wave treatment technology that counts Hong Kong’s tycoon Li Ka-shing among its backers, has reached an “inflection” point after 1 million patients worldwide adopted it as an alternative to surgery, radiation, drugs and other therapies, said the doctor who pioneered its use. One million patients had undergone FUS therapy since the technology was introduced six decades ago, including around 175,000 cases that involved liver tumours, according to data... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328093/li-ka-shing-backed-focused-ultrasound-therapy-reaches-tipping-point-1-million-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328093/li-ka-shing-backed-focused-ultrasound-therapy-reaches-tipping-point-1-million-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Yanzhong Huang Yanzhong Huang Last month, I joined a US think tank delegation to China, participating in a round table at a top university in Beijing. A remark by a leading professor of diplomacy struck me: “If China and the US can’t cooperate on health issues, they can’t cooperate on others.” His words underscore the dire state of bilateral relations. Even during peak Cold War tensions, public health challenges such as polio and smallpox transcended geopolitical rivalries and forged unlikely alliances. Yet between 2017 and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3326268/why-us-china-health-and-drugs-cooperation-must-top-trump-xi-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3326268/why-us-china-health-and-drugs-cooperation-must-top-trump-xi-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Biotech firm Ascletis Pharma said ASC47, its muscle-preserving weight loss drug candidate, could boost the efficacy of the popular anti-obesity medication semaglutide by 56.2 per cent, as Chinese drug makers eye a growing share of this lucrative market. That finding came from a trial that Ascletis conducted in the US for 28 participants with obesity, which aimed to assess the drug candidate’s safety and ideal dose, according to the company’s statement on Monday. The treatment duration was four... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3326379/ascletis-pharma-trial-shows-drug-candidate-asc47-boosts-weight-loss-effect-semaglutide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3326379/ascletis-pharma-trial-shows-drug-candidate-asc47-boosts-weight-loss-effect-semaglutide?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:00:16 +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 Cao Li Cao Li Biotech exchange-traded funds (ETF) in Hong Kong are attracting local and global investors as Chinese pharmaceutical makers reap the dividends of research and development and narrow the gap with the US, according to China Asset Management (Hong Kong) (China AMC). With Hong Kong-traded Chinese stocks already enjoying a decent rally, investors were now looking for unique opportunities to beat the market, said Heidi Cai, head of international business at the asset manager. “Funds from the US are... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3325606/chinese-biotech-etfs-hong-kong-attract-investors-amid-us60-billion-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3325606/chinese-biotech-etfs-hong-kong-attract-investors-amid-us60-billion-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen DNA sequencers from Chinese firm MGI Tech can rival those from global market leader Illumina in spite of US sanctions, according to Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, former parent of the Shenzhen-based biotech company. MGI’s sequencers offer the best “comprehensive value” in terms of time, quality and cost, Yin said in an interview on the sidelines of the BioHK 2025 conference on Thursday. Yin, 46, pointed out that MGI’s latest product, the DNBSEQ-T7+, is “pushing physics and chemistry to the limit”, as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325235/pushing-physics-limit-mgis-dna-sequencers-gaining-market-bgi-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325235/pushing-physics-limit-mgis-dna-sequencers-gaining-market-bgi-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Angel Woo Angel Woo A team of Hong Kong scientists is developing an injectable treatment that could potentially improve blood flow in diabetes patients’ feet, in the hopes that it will reduce the need for amputation by rebuilding tissue in the arteries. They also hope to apply the treatment to peripheral artery disease or PAD, a condition caused by the build-up of fatty deposits in arteries that affect blood circulation in the feet. Jack Wong Wing-tak, associate professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3324671/hong-kong-scientists-developing-new-blood-flow-treatment-aid-diabetes-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3324671/hong-kong-scientists-developing-new-blood-flow-treatment-aid-diabetes-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 02:00:14 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li In the summer of 2015, a time when China’s pharmaceutical market was in a phase of rapid expansion, a sudden regulatory change sent tremors through the industry: drug companies would need to audit the clinical trial data for all pending applications. If withdrawn within a month of the announcement, firms could avoid penalties for submitting flawed applications, but hiding or falsifying data would court severe punishments, including multi-year filing bans. The response from the industry indicated... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324487/chinas-biotech-industry-gaining-us-can-tariffs-hold-them-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324487/chinas-biotech-industry-gaining-us-can-tariffs-hold-them-back?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 22:00:13 +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 Eric Ng Eric Ng Chinese pharmaceutical companies are beginning to challenge Western giants in the weight-loss drugs market, fuelled by domestic demand from the world’s largest population of overweight and obese people. More than 60 late-stage weight-loss drug candidates are undergoing clinical trials in China, according to Boston-based L.E.K. Consulting, creating potential competition for Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (marketed as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for treating type 2 diabetes) and Eli Lilly’s... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324006/china-goes-big-weight-loss-drugs-novo-eli-lilly-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324006/china-goes-big-weight-loss-drugs-novo-eli-lilly-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 06:02:15 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov An Israeli hospital that has achieved a breakthrough in cultivating kidneys in laboratories is seeking funding, including from China, to advance into clinical trials, according to the project’s lead researcher. Sheba Medical Centre, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, said it had successfully grown a synthetic 3D organ culture, or organoid, that was the first to survive beyond 34 weeks, marking a significant milestone in regenerative medicine. Previous attempts had not exceeded four... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322904/israeli-hospital-pioneers-lab-grown-kidneys-seeks-china-biotech-funding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322904/israeli-hospital-pioneers-lab-grown-kidneys-seeks-china-biotech-funding?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:16 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng A record high number of private-sector executives and chief scientists have been shortlisted this year to compete for academicianship in China’s top institute for engineering science and technology. Nineteen are included on the newly released candidate list for the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), including Hu Guoping, 48, principal researcher and co-founder of AI specialist iFlyTek; Wu Kai, 57, chief scientist and co-president of battery manufacturer CATL; Lian Yubo, 61, chief scientist of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322856/chinas-top-engineering-academy-seeks-more-private-sector-blood-innovation-mind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322856/chinas-top-engineering-academy-seeks-more-private-sector-blood-innovation-mind?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:59:45 +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 Zhang Tong,Shi Huang,Xinmei Shen Zhang Tong,Shi Huang,Xinmei Shen China has joined the United States in a race to develop technology that could help transform the lives of millions who suffer from debilitating brain injuries or neurodegenerative diseases. In Shanghai this year, a quadruple amputee played a video game through a brain implant that channels his thoughts. Elsewhere, researchers from Tianjin and Beijing inserted implants in 10 volunteers that allowed two-way communication so the brain and machine could learn from each other. Brain-computer... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319931/china-makes-strides-brain-computer-interface-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3319931/china-makes-strides-brain-computer-interface-tech-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:08 +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 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will potentially pay a Chinese company US$12.5 billion for exclusive global rights to develop a dozen drugs, in a landmark deal that underscores how China’s research labs are snapping up market share in the global pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. The deal would give GSK the rights to develop a drug for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) called HRS-9821, as well as 11 of the preclinical programmes owned by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319793/gsk-signs-us125-bn-licence-deal-hengrui-china-rises-global-pharmaceuticals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319793/gsk-signs-us125-bn-licence-deal-hengrui-china-rises-global-pharmaceuticals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 04:19:45 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Pfizer and 3SBio have completed a licensing agreement that grants the US pharmaceutical giant worldwide rights to sell the Hong Kong-listed firm’s cancer drug, marking the largest deal ever for a single drug in China’s biotech industry. First announced in May, the deal will see 3SBio – based in Shenyang, capital of northeastern Liaoning province – receive a US$1.25 billion upfront payment from Pfizer for the exclusive right to sell its cancer drug, SSGJ-707, outside China. Under the terms of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3319601/pfizer-chinese-biotech-firm-3sbio-complete-worldwide-licensing-deal-cancer-drug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3319601/pfizer-chinese-biotech-firm-3sbio-complete-worldwide-licensing-deal-cancer-drug?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:10:32 +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 AniTech, the developer of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to detect early signs of depression, plans to launch its technology next year to tackle mental illness and suicide among the city’s population, co-founder and CEO Candy Lau Po-chun said. The company operates an electroencephalogram (EEG) brain electrical signal-based screening platform, which can be used to help prevent cases among youth and elderly people – two vulnerable groups in the city known for their high levels of... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319214/anitech-offers-ai-kit-tackle-depression-and-suicides-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319214/anitech-offers-ai-kit-tackle-depression-and-suicides-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:47:05 +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 Eric Ng Eric Ng When Hong Kong office worker W.K. Chang began putting on weight as a teenager, her doctor said it was due to hormonal imbalances that slowed her metabolism. She reached a peak weight of 100kg about a year ago, but has since lost 25kg. The secret to losing a quarter of her weight? Chang, who asked not to be identified by her full name, was one of the city’s first 200 chronic obesity patients to receive access to a new weight-loss drug, originally developed for diabetes. At a cost of HK$2,700... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3317715/china-has-60-drugs-under-trial-rival-ozempic-others-us150-bn-weight-loss-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3317715/china-has-60-drugs-under-trial-rival-ozempic-others-us150-bn-weight-loss-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen IntelliGen AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up founded in Hong Kong, is positioning itself as a competitor to Google DeepMind in the field of drug discovery, as the city increasingly seeks to bolster its AI capabilities. In an interview with the Post, founder and president Ronald Sun expressed confidence that IntelliGen AI could soon compete globally with Isomorphic Labs, a spin-off of DeepMind, in leveraging AI for drug screening and design. “For generative science, new breakthroughs... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3317704/hong-kong-start-intelligen-ai-aims-challenge-google-deepmind-drug-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3317704/hong-kong-start-intelligen-ai-aims-challenge-google-deepmind-drug-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:30:09 +0000