https://www.scmp.com/rss/519771/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 CK Life Sciences, a unit of Li Ka-shing-backed CK Group, plans to bring its cancer vaccine candidates to mainland China through a “fast track” channel as Beijing moves to accelerate early-stage drug development. “We are planning to run investigator-initiated trials [IITs], hopefully, in the next year,” CK Life Sciences’ vice-president and chief scientific officer Dr Melvin Toh Kean-meng said in a recent interview. His comments came as CK Life Sciences set up Sequencio Therapeutics in Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348317/li-ka-shings-ck-life-unit-eyes-china-fast-track-cancer-vaccine-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348317/li-ka-shings-ck-life-unit-eyes-china-fast-track-cancer-vaccine-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:00:32 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang AstraZeneca said it would establish drug manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou and Shanghai as well as a separate innovation centre in Shanghai, joining a group of foreign players building new plants in China amid geopolitical tensions. The moves are part of a US$15 billion commitment the British firm pledged to make in the world’s second-largest drug market through 2030, unveiled during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing in January. China’s manufacturing capabilities, integrated... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347266/global-drug-giants-double-down-china-amid-trend-build-self-reliant-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347266/global-drug-giants-double-down-china-amid-trend-build-self-reliant-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese contract drug makers – including WuXi AppTec, WuXi Biologics and WuXi XDC – face a less certain long-term revenue outlook as US pharmaceutical companies bring production in-house and reconfigure supply chains amid rising US-China tensions. While near-term earnings remained largely locked in, visibility beyond that was limited, according to Cui Cui, head of healthcare research for Asia at Jefferies. “Earnings visibility for 2026 and 2027 is still very strong – revenue momentum is largely... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346911/us-reshoring-drive-casts-shadow-over-chinas-contract-drug-makers-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346911/us-reshoring-drive-casts-shadow-over-chinas-contract-drug-makers-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:48:41 +0000 Themis Qi,Julie Zhang Themis Qi,Julie Zhang Eli Lilly has pledged an additional US$3 billion investment in China over the next decade to strengthen its local supply chain and manufacturing capabilities, deepening the footprint of foreign pharmaceutical giants in the world’s second-largest healthcare market. The move would bring the total cumulative investment of Eli Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company by market capitalisation, in China to nearly US$6 billion, according to a statement released on its WeChat account on... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346260/eli-lilly-boosts-china-footprint-us3-billion-plan-expand-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346260/eli-lilly-boosts-china-footprint-us3-billion-plan-expand-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:39:53 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang More major US companies are set to join Beijing’s premier supply chain expo this summer, including its first artificial intelligence (AI) section, as business ties between the two superpowers enter a state of fragile stabilisation. A fresh wave of leading United States enterprises, alongside prominent figures from American academia and politics, will attend the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing in June, its organiser, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345131/china-supply-chain-expo-set-welcome-more-us-firms-june-launch-ai-section?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345131/china-supply-chain-expo-set-welcome-more-us-firms-june-launch-ai-section?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:59 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China’s state-backed investors are stepping up funding for artificial intelligence-driven drug developers as Beijing pushes for technological self-reliance, with at least one company already advancing an AI-designed therapy into late-stage clinical trials. Hangzhou-based METiS TechBio, founded in 2020, raised 400 million yuan (US$57.9 million) in series D financing in August last year, led by the Beijing Medical and Health Industry Investment Fund and the Daxing Industrial Investment Fund – both... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3343151/capital-injection-china-backs-ai-drug-makers-self-reliance-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3343151/capital-injection-china-backs-ai-drug-makers-self-reliance-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang WuXi Biologics expects a sharp rise in full-year earnings for 2025, forecasting a 46.3 per cent increase in profit as it secures more projects across the drug development value chain, from discovery through to manufacturing. In a positive profit alert filed with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday, the company said profit attributable to equity shareholders would reach about 4.91 billion yuan (US$710 million), while revenue is set to climb 16.7 per cent to 21.79 billion yuan. Shares rose... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3343149/wuxi-biologics-earnings-jump-follow-and-win-molecule-strategy-pays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3343149/wuxi-biologics-earnings-jump-follow-and-win-molecule-strategy-pays?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:42:07 +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 Jiang Jiani Jiang Jiani At Davos this year, a familiar but sobering warning echoed through the slopes: the global order is fracturing into closed loops. In Western capitals, “de-risking” remains the dominant keyword, framing the global economy as a series of strategic high walls. Yet, beyond these barriers, a more tangible crisis is unfolding across the Global South. The infrastructure deficit continues to widen, estimated at a staggering US$1.7 trillion annually for Asia alone. This is a crisis of global governance.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341126/china-grows-it-reshaping-how-global-public-goods-are-delivered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341126/china-grows-it-reshaping-how-global-public-goods-are-delivered?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Mainland China could become one of the first markets in the world to approve a drug fully designed by artificial intelligence, as advances in AI and human genetics combine to create a “seismic shift” in drug development, according to executives of pharmaceutical giants. “We will see in 2026 that we move from AI-assisted discovery to fully AI-designed compounds, perhaps entering the pipeline,” said Marc Horn, president of Merck China, at the Asian Financial Forum on Tuesday in Hong Kong. “We... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341432/china-could-approve-first-fully-ai-designed-drug-next-year-merck-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341432/china-could-approve-first-fully-ai-designed-drug-next-year-merck-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:10 +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 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Shanghai-based Harbour BioMed’s acquisition of a stake in US-based Spruce Biosciences is the latest example of China’s novel drug developers progressing from one-time licensing deals into long-lasting equity partnerships with overseas partners. The deal, detailed in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Monday, also showed Chinese firms’ growing clout on the global pharmaceutical stage, analysts said. “The coming years will see more Chinese biotech firms engaging in equity investments and joint... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340489/harbour-biomed-stake-us-drug-firm-spruce-shows-chinese-firms-growing-clout-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340489/harbour-biomed-stake-us-drug-firm-spruce-shows-chinese-firms-growing-clout-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 23:30:12 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China has emerged as a credible challenger to the US in artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery, where advantage depends not only on computing prowess but also on the ability to effectively mine data, from genomes to clinical trial results, according to Leung Chuen-yan, a private equity investor and life sciences scientist. “Globally, the way companies develop and use AI to discover drugs is similar, from finding the drug target and designing the molecule to planning clinical trials,” said... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:30:11 +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 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 Three in four multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in mainland China have maintained or increased their investments in 2025, according to a recent KPMG survey, despite Washington stepping up efforts to decouple from Beijing and its allies following suit. The survey published on Monday, polling 137 senior executives from global companies operating in the world’s second-largest economy between June and September, revealed that only 1 per cent reported preparing to exit the market. About 20... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3337381/global-firms-turn-ma-evs-and-biotech-deepen-china-investment-kpmg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3337381/global-firms-turn-ma-evs-and-biotech-deepen-china-investment-kpmg?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 01:30:22 +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 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang BeOne Medicines, a global drug company that originated as a research and development (R&D) firm in Beijing, promoted Wang Lai to the newly created role of president, marking a leadership expansion as the company advances its late-stage pipeline and globalisation efforts. The 48-year-old has served as the company’s global head of R&D since April 2021. Effective January, Wang would take the helm of an expanded portfolio, retaining his R&D responsibilities while also overseeing business development... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337097/beone-medicines-names-rd-chief-wang-lai-co-president-lead-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337097/beone-medicines-names-rd-chief-wang-lai-co-president-lead-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:43:53 +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 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong The days when Silicon Valley and leading American universities led the way in shaping the future of science may be ending, as China overtakes the United States not only in research output but in some cutting-edge fields, according to one of the world’s leading academic publishers. “When I looked into data from Digital Science’s Dimensions database, I can see a widening gap between China and the United States in research output. “By 2024, Chinese researchers had published 1.1 million articles,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333395/china-overtakes-us-medical-research-amid-science-balance-power-shift-top-publisher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333395/china-overtakes-us-medical-research-amid-science-balance-power-shift-top-publisher?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is advancing its “health silk road” in Africa by initiating major offshore projects to manufacture essential medicines, such as insulin and antiretrovirals. Nigeria is set to produce Chinese-made insulin, while in the Ivory Coast further west, Chinese giant Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical is on track to complete the first part of its three-phase €50 million (US$58 million) facility by the end of the year. The facility near Abidjan, the country’s biggest city, will manufacture antimalarial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328598/chinas-health-silk-road-africa-gets-boost-insulin-and-other-pharma-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328598/chinas-health-silk-road-africa-gets-boost-insulin-and-other-pharma-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 06:00:14 +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 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 US President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs targeting imported branded pharmaceutical products would “barely dent” the operations of major Chinese drug makers, according to analysts. The new 100 per cent tariff on any branded or patented pharmaceutical product would apply to all imports, according to Trump’s post on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday. Exemptions, however, would cover firms that have already broken ground on building a manufacturing plant in the US. Drugs... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327012/trumps-tariffs-imported-drugs-not-big-concern-chinas-pharma-firms-jefferies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327012/trumps-tariffs-imported-drugs-not-big-concern-chinas-pharma-firms-jefferies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:00:10 +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 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 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Global financial investors are pouring into Hong Kong in a low profile way to stay under the radar and avoid undue attention because of rising geopolitical tension, said the head of the city’s de facto sovereign wealth fund. “We see a great velocity of [capital] flow, although in a very low profile way,” said Clara Chan, the CEO of the HK$62 billion (US$8 billion) government-owned fund known as Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), during a Wednesday interview with the Post at the BioHK 2025... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3325082/global-capital-tiptoeing-hong-kongs-market-aided-citys-investment-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3325082/global-capital-tiptoeing-hong-kongs-market-aided-citys-investment-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:59:10 +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 Xiaofei Xu,Khushboo Razdan,Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings Xiaofei Xu,Khushboo Razdan,Frank Chen,Ralph Jennings China and the United States have diverged on the timing for another pause on tariff increases, a hurdle that must be cleared before the world’s two largest economies reach a trade deal ahead of an August 12 deadline. After their two days of talks in Stockholm, Sweden, Chinese negotiators declared a consensus for an extension of the pause on tariff increases, while the American side insisted that no deal would be final without US President Donald Trump’s explicit approval. The Chinese side did... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320049/china-us-finish-stockholm-trade-talks-agreement-extend-tariff-pause?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320049/china-us-finish-stockholm-trade-talks-agreement-extend-tariff-pause?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:58:38 +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 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 Shi Huang Shi Huang For more than two decades, the Human Genome Project (HGP) – a landmark scientific endeavour led by Western nations – mapped humanity’s genetic blueprint, yet the rich diversity of Southeast Asia was overlooked. Despite being home to nearly 300 million people, including the world’s largest indigenous population, mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) contributed a mere 1.57 per cent to global genomic databases, with most data derived from diaspora communities rather than local populations. Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312702/china-boosts-research-southeast-asian-populations-overlooked-human-genome-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312702/china-boosts-research-southeast-asian-populations-overlooked-human-genome-project?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 06:00:16 +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 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese drug maker 3SBio has licensed its new cancer drug to US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in the largest deal ever for China’s biotech industry, underscoring the strong commercial Sino-US ties despite geopolitical headwinds. Based in Shenyang, capital of northeastern Liaoning province, 3SBio will receive a US$1.25 billion upfront payment for licensing its cancer drug SSGJ-707 exclusively to Pfizer, which will manufacture and commercialise the drug outside mainland China, the companies... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3311231/chinese-biotech-firm-secures-us6-billion-pfizer-deal-cancer-drug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3311231/chinese-biotech-firm-secures-us6-billion-pfizer-deal-cancer-drug?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 10:00:19 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s WuXi AppTec, which a US legislative commission called the “Huawei equivalent for biotechnology”, has reported a surge in US business despite increased scrutiny from Washington, according to its latest data. In the first three months of the year, WuXi’s revenue from US-based customers increased 28.4 per cent year on year to 6.38 billion yuan (US$874.8 million), the Hong Kong-listed company said in a filing on Monday. Revenue from European customers also jumped 26.2 per cent, while overall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3308375/chinese-biotech-giant-wuxi-apptec-reports-strong-us-revenue-despite-washington-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3308375/chinese-biotech-giant-wuxi-apptec-reports-strong-us-revenue-despite-washington-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:00:14 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Chinese quantum computing firm Origin Quantum has successfully applied its advanced technology in several biomedical fields, including breast cancer treatment, in a sign of progress towards commercialisation. The Hefei-based company, which is backed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has demonstrated the viability of its Origin Wukong quantum computer in biomedical applications such as breast cancer mammography screening and small molecule drug design, according to a report by the state-run... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3308242/chinese-quantum-computing-firm-tackles-breast-cancer-screenings-drug-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3308242/chinese-quantum-computing-firm-tackles-breast-cancer-screenings-drug-design?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:00:13 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Hutchmed (China) is evaluating supply-chain options for a blood-cancer drug recently approved by Beijing to mitigate impact from the ongoing US-China trade war, according to its chief. Last month the company won conditional nationwide approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to sell tazemetostat, after it completed a phase two bridging study involving 42 patients. The approval is for follicular-lymphoma patients whose cancer has a mutation called EZH2 and who either... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3306450/hutchmed-weighs-cancer-drugs-supply-chain-options-amid-us-china-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3306450/hutchmed-weighs-cancer-drugs-supply-chain-options-amid-us-china-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 09:02:25 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng When the stock markets in Hong Kong and mainland China resumed trading after a long weekend on Monday, traders knew they were in for a world of pain. Only a few niche healthcare companies emerged unscathed. Pacific Shuanglin Bio-pharmacy, Beijing Tiantan Biological Products and China Resources Boya Bio-pharmaceutical Group – involved in processing human blood plasma into high-value medical products – gained 10.6 to 16.6 per cent in two days after Beijing announced a matching 34 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3306136/trump-vs-china-biotech-who-will-emerge-victorious-tariff-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3306136/trump-vs-china-biotech-who-will-emerge-victorious-tariff-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Apr 2025 03:00:10 +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 The United States should keep China integrated into its aviation industry supply chains to maintain control over the country’s ability to develop, an expert told a US government advisory panel on Thursday. The recommendation was among dozens made over several hours of testimony in a US-China Economic and Security Review Commission [USCC] hearing called to assess Beijing’s industrial ambitions under the “Made in China 2025” plan, an initiative that seeks to establish Chinese dominance in a range... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3297692/us-can-keep-edge-over-china-aviation-staying-integrated-it-advisory-panel-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3297692/us-can-keep-edge-over-china-aviation-staying-integrated-it-advisory-panel-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 20:19:50 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Tuesday the inclusion of a major US biotech company on its “unreliable entity list” while stating that the firm’s “discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises” harmed the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. Leading American genomic sequencing firm Illumina is the first biotech company on Beijing’s list. More than 60 per cent of the world’s genetic sequencing data is generated by Illumina’s machines. After being blacklisted by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3297609/chinas-1st-counter-sanction-us-biotech-industry-marks-turning-point-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3297609/chinas-1st-counter-sanction-us-biotech-industry-marks-turning-point-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 08:07:25 +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 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Distinguished biologist Wang Cunyu has left the University of California, Los Angeles and joined Peking University to head its Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine (IACM). Wang – who left China in 1990 and had been in the United States for more than three decades – delivered a speech as the institute’s newly appointed head at a conference last week to mark the body’s anniversary on December 18, the Peking University Health Science Centre said on Friday. Wang was quoted as saying that it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3292050/china-born-biologist-wang-cunyu-returns-decades-us-head-advanced-institute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3292050/china-born-biologist-wang-cunyu-returns-decades-us-head-advanced-institute?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:00:10 +0000 The renewal of the US-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA) marks a pivotal moment in scientific diplomacy, in an era defined by fierce technological competition and escalating geopolitical tensions. First signed in 1979 between US president Jimmy Carter and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, the STA’s broad mandate provides a stable framework for long-term scientific cooperation. It has enabled nearly 100 protocols between governmental agencies, allowing collaboration across... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3291206/renewed-us-china-science-pact-advances-cooperation-despite-tech-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3291206/renewed-us-china-science-pact-advances-cooperation-despite-tech-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2024 21:30:07 +0000 1. HIV cure on horizon? Hong Kong firm Immuno Cure unveils promising vaccine, ICVAX “We may be on the brink of a breakthrough,” the company advisory board chairman said as the biotech start-up reported promising results from clinical trials. The vaccine, designed to be administered after infection, could offer a potential cure for HIV, the virus that causes Aids. 2. Trump tariffs threaten Chinese biotech profits, medical device makers brace for impact Chinese biotech firms are facing a double... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3287691/promising-steps-hiv-vaccine-trump-tariffs-threaten-chinese-profits-5-biotech-stories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3287691/promising-steps-hiv-vaccine-trump-tariffs-threaten-chinese-profits-5-biotech-stories?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:10:56 +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 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 Zhou Xin Zhou Xin Shares of WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics surged in Hong Kong on Friday, following a report that the two firms are looking to divest some of their operations in the wake of new United States legislation targeting Chinese biotech companies. WuXi AppTec’s shares closed up almost 12 per cent to HK$67.10 on Friday, while shares of subsidiary WuXi Biologics rose nearly 15 per cent to HK$21.45. Those gains were made after Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Thursday... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3281119/wuxi-apptec-wuxi-biologics-surge-hong-kong-biotech-firms-put-some-operations-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3281119/wuxi-apptec-wuxi-biologics-surge-hong-kong-biotech-firms-put-some-operations-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Oct 2024 10:00:09 +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