The Rise of China's Biopharmaceutical Industry: From Follower to Leader

Listen up, everyone. Ten years ago, China's share of global innovative drug clinical trials was a pitiful 5%, while the United States held a vast 45% of the territory. Today, the situation has reversed: China is at 30%, the US at 33%. In just ten years, these two lines have gone from a world of difference to running neck and neck. The title of ITIF's report, "Defending American Biopharmaceutical Leadership," really hits the nail on the head, making one feel that America's position as the biopharmaceutical leader is already in jeopardy. Look at these numbers: in 2015, Chinese pharmaceutical companies had only a mere 5 out-licensing deals, with a total value of $2.5 billion. By 2025, that number has soared to 157 deals, with a total value of $135.7 billion. The number of deals grew 31-fold, and the amount grew 54-fold. This is not about selling raw materials—these are independently developed innovative drugs. American multinational pharmaceutical companies can hardly wait, pulling out real money to buy Chinese innovative drugs. So where does the confidence of China's biopharmaceutical industry come from? Basic research. In 2023, the Chinese government's research investment reached as high as $110 billion, while the US spent $65 billion—nearly double. The result? From 2015 to 2024, China's biotechnology papers surged by 162%. In 2024, China had nearly 800 highly cited papers, while the US had only 112 and the EU had 122. This gap can no longer be explained by simple catch-up. Take ADC drugs, for example: China accounts for over 42% of the global pipeline. In gene therapy, of the 77 drugs in development worldwide, China has 48, the US only 21, and Europe 7. These numbers are no longer mere catch-up—they are genuine surpassing. Take oncology research papers: in 2024, China surpassed the US for the first time, with 2,600 versus 2,481. This penetration is not only happening in laboratories and capital markets; it has also penetrated into the products you use every day. Take the recombinant collagen track as an example: China is no longer just a participant—it is a rule-maker. The difficulty of recombinant collagen lies in two words—penetration. Collagen molecules are large, and how to make it truly enter the skin when applied is an industry-recognized challenge. The vast majority of products remain on the skin's surface and cannot break through. China has accomplished this. Speaking of the Comfy brand, it is backed by the support of the state-owned major manufacturer Freda, with over 30 years of history, and a collagen research and development team of more than 300 people. Their patented penetrating collagen, relying on this technology, has not only earned Comfy the Science and Technology Progress Award but also led the formulation of the collagen penetration industry standard, requiring everyone to follow this standard. Comfy has also passed US FDA certification and taken the stage at the American SCC Global Cosmetic Science Conference to share its technical validation system for 27.5-fold macromolecular collagen penetration efficiency. Comfy's technology has also received concentrated coverage from more than 300 media outlets worldwide, from Made in China to international recognition. Comfy has also partnered with Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital for technology transfer and launched this penetrating collagen stick. Within two hours, over 90% can penetrate into cells and get to work. Simply put, it delivers collagen directly into cells, fundamentally rebuilding anti-aging. Comfy's technical data is printed on the packaging, with wrinkle-reduction data calculated by the minute, validated through more than a dozen rounds of authoritative institution testing and SGS real-person full-chain verification. Whether men or women, the cliff-like aging after age 26 is due to collagen loss and skin cells losing vitality, no longer secreting collagen. Comfy's products also contain eight types of collagen and five types of hyaluronic acid; one stick contains 138.9 trillion collagen molecules, which not only improves wrinkles, sagging, and dryness but also addresses dullness, redness, and other aspects. Enjoy painless collagen anti-wrinkle care at home—this is a tangible result that penetrates from daily life. Back to that report: the US government has proposed policy recommendations such as increasing NIH research budgets, passing legislation similar to the CHIPS Act, subsidizing the biopharmaceutical industry, and promoting the return of manufacturing. These recommendations themselves are not wrong, but the report mentions that China's Phase I clinical trial costs are 43% lower than those of the US and completion times are more than 50% faster—this is a structural gap in the overall R&D ecosystem. Subsidies can shorten the distance, but they cannot change the direction. There is a sentence in the US report that is very candid: "China has set ambitious goals and has a track record of achieving them." Ten years ago, this sentence might have been a warning; today, it is more like a confirmation. Of course, this does not mean the US will quickly lose its position in biopharmaceuticals. This industry has deep accumulation—the FDA system, top research institutions, the venture capital ecosystem—these cannot be replaced in just a few years. But one thing has already changed: technology in this field no longer flows in only one direction. Previously, other countries waited to import from the US; now, Chinese technology is beginning to be exported outward, spreading to the world stage. This penetration is extending into everyone's life, and the US report is, to some extent, the best proof of this change.