Biopharma building innovation ecosystem

Under the background of the "Healthy China 2030" strategy, China's biopharmaceutical industry is gradually shifting from an "innovation follower" to a "source of innovation", with more and more Chinese companies stepping onto the world stage, said a senior executive of German life science company Bayer AG.

Friedemann Janus, senior vice-president, head of Regional Business Development and Licensing, Co. Lab and Divestitures of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, said: "I visit China twice a year. In my observation, I am really impressed by China's innovation ecosystem. We've seen great advancements over the past few years, and now, China's ecosystem is one of the sources of high-quality and cutting-edge innovation."

According to the latest statistics from the National Medical Products Administration, China's pipeline of new drugs under development accounted for about 30 percent of the world's total, ranking second in the world.

In the forefront field, China's performance is even more eye-catching. A McKinsey report showed that as of September 2025, China contributed 34 percent of the global next-generation-therapy in-progress drug projects in clinical phases I and II, second only to the United States at 39 percent. Among them, in the fields of antibody-drug conjugate and dual/triple antibody, China has become the world's leading contributor, accounting for 54 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

"China plays a key strategic role in Bayer's global innovation system and its contribution continues to increase," Janus said.

To better leverage China's innovation resources, Bayer established Bayer Co. Lab in Shanghai in 2024. As an integral part of Bayer's global open innovation strategy, Bayer Co. Lab has established flagship sites in China, the United States, Japan and Germany.

Tang Renhong, director of the State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development under Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd, said: "China has been stepping up efforts in building its open innovation ecosystem. Taking our laboratory as an example, currently, in terms of independent research and development, there are six innovative drug technologies going global. For collaborative R&D, we have supported over 500 projects in five major scientific fields, covering 344 institutions."

On Sept 15, the US Food and Drug Administration formally launched an initiative designed to speed up early clinical trials for new medicines, reflecting global attention to R&D efficiency.

In China, Bayer Co. Lab operates sites in Zhangjiang, Shanghai and a biopark in Beijing.

It currently forms a diversified biotech innovation cluster spanning modalities and platform technologies, including small molecules, nucleic acids, cyclic peptides, antibody platforms, gene editing, artificial intelligence-enabled discovery and membrane proteins technologies.

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn