Domestic firms dominate China’s drug approvals amid jump in spending and out-licensing deals as regulator speeds path to market
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenJulie ZhangPublished: 9:00pm, 27 May 2026Home-grown innovative drugs make up most of the medicines China’s drug regulator has approved for sale so far this year, underscoring the country’s biotech boom.Of the 19 innovative drugs cleared by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), 15 came from domestic companies, according to the regulator’s website as of May 21. These include sonrotoclax, developed by global biopharmaceutical firm BeOne, for treating certain adult blood cancers.The regulator overhauled its approval process to accelerate the path to market for home-grown innovative drugs, state media reported on Wednesday.
The country elevated the pharmaceutical sector to a national economic growth engine in this year’s government work report for the first time. Last year, China approved 76 innovative drugs, up from 48 in 2024.
