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New medical drugs

New medical drugs
Latest news and updates on medical drug research and breakthroughs.
Innovative drugs are expected to outpace other segments with an annualised growth of 20 per cent between 2026 and 2030, according to UBS. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s private sector

China’s drug and medical device sector fuels growth with record licensing deals

China’s pharmaceutical industry surges on ageing demand and global expansion, with revenue forecast to top US$2.1 trillion by 2030.

Made in China 2025

Novartis, SciNeuro deal offers hope for 55 million suffering from Alzheimer’s

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Made in China 2025

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Artificial intelligence

MindRank in Phase 3 trial with first AI-assisted new drug

The company was aiming for approval in the second half of 2028, paving the way for a market launch in 2029.

Despite AI’s advancements, humans remain an indispensable part of the drug discovery process. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Science

China’s biopharma sector ‘in prime position to challenge US leadership’

American commission issues stark warning, as analytics firm Clarivate reports that Chinese innovative drug development has entered new phase.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Genomic sequencing puts Hong Kong at forefront of cancer care innovation

Scientist Aya El Helali says research speeds up cancer treatment discovery and helps the city bridge mainland China with global drug development.

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Wellness

As weight-loss drugs reduce appetites, US restaurants cut portion sizes

Some New York restaurants are offering smaller portions at lower prices to appeal to those on hunger-reducing GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

A chef at Le Petit Village in New York prepares half-sized portions of their brunch menu items, designed to appeal to people taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications, on December 10, 2025. Photo: AFP
Medicine

No need for needles? US approves Wegovy pill for weight loss

Novo Nordisk’s daily medication offers an oral alternative to blockbuster injections, with a launch expected in early January.

United States

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

Made in China 2025

China’s pharmaceutical industry transforms into a global innovation powerhouse

The China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Invention Index, a new gauge, highlights top drug makers on the mainland for the first time.

China is gaining a solid reputation as a pharmaceutical innovation hub, according to global consultancy Idea Pharma. Photo: AP
Science

Sperm quality decline: could easy-to-use balm from China solve the crisis?

In China, unhealthy lifestyles, pollution and work-related stress are cited in public health discussions around declining sperm quality.

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A national reproductive health survey in 2021 indicated one in nearly six couples of childbearing age faced difficulties in starting a family. Photo: Getty Images
China economy

Opinion | How China engineered the rapid rise of its drug innovation industry

A market once dominated by generics is now an AI-powered pharmaceutical hub drawing billion-dollar investments from the likes of Pfizer and GSK.

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Hansoh Pharmaceutical

6 of the best: the billion-dollar biotechs putting China on the map

China’s biotech renaissance is gathering pace as home-grown innovators strike billion-dollar licensing deals with global giants.

China’s private sector

Fosun brings UK particle therapy to mainland China in advanced cancer care push

The US Food and Drug Administration-approved Marie system promises human-centred care, advanced technology and lower costs.

Fosun Pharmaceutical says the Marie system could reduce total treatment costs by 50 per cent compared with existing therapies. Photo: Daniel Ren
Biomedicine: Companies

China biotech forum bills antibody cancer drugs as next-generation treatment

Biotech insiders tout antibody-drug conjugates as the next big thing in cancer treatment, with firms urged to pursue global strategies.

Antibody drug conjugates are targeted medicines that deliver chemotherapy agents to cancer cells. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong stock market

China’s Akeso gets share boost as data shows cancer drug’s benefits

Lung-cancer drug ivonescimab is ‘potentially two to three years ahead of competitors’, analyst says.

Biomedicine: Companies

Hansoh and Leads Biolabs clinch US$2.5 billion in global drug licensing deals

Two mainland biotech firms win global attention as Roche and Dianthus sign major licensing pacts, highlighting China’s growing role in next-generation drug development.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

CK Life unit merges with TransCode as Li Ka-shing firm eyes anticancer drugs

Upon completion of the transaction, CK Life will own about 9.1 per cent of TransCode’s outstanding common shares.

Company flags flutter outside Cheung Kong Centre. CK Life Sciences International is set to merge its subsidiary Polynoma with TransCode Therapeutics to boost its pipeline of anticancer drugs. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Fitness

Li Ka-shing-backed focused ultrasound therapy treats 1 millionth case

The therapy, which uses ultrasound energy to treat a number of diseases including cancer, is gaining global traction, a US expert says.

United States

China’s pharmaceutical sector surges amid growth in sales, licensing income

Strong growth momentum and global push expected to continue, HSBC says.

Biomedicine: Industry Trends

China’s drug developers stretch to become a global force

Although a start-up’s recent triumph is seen as a ‘DeepSeek moment’, domestic players still trail world-beating pharma firms, experts say.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
IPO

Chinese healthcare, biotech firms flock to Hong Kong for IPOs

September yields at least 23 listing applications from mainland biotech firms eyeing the city’s lucrative fundraising market.

The Hang Seng Biotech index, which tracks the 50 largest biotech, pharmaceutical and medical-device firms listed in Hong Kong, has surged 109 per cent this year. Photo: Shutterstock
Biomedicine: Companies

Pfizer’s Metsera acquisition to spur Chinese search for new weight drugs

The deal, worth up to US$7.3 billion, will encourage ongoing investment by mainland players but not draw in new rivals, analysts say.

Biomedicine: Companies

China’s Hengrui gets boost from fifth drug-licensing deal of year

Shares rise after Mumbai-based Glenmark Pharmaceuticals strikes deal for cancer drug.

US-China relations

Opinion | Why US-China health and drugs cooperation must top Trump-Xi agenda

The years-long impasse harms both nations and the world, and the stakes in global health security could not be higher.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Health in China

Beijing tackles drug price wars with new tendering rules in anti-involution push

China’s new drug procurement rules prioritise quality over price in a bid to curb cutthroat competition.

Employees work on the production line of Shijiazhuang No 4 Pharmaceutical in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Biomedicine: Companies

Ascletis trial shows drug candidate ASC47 boosts semaglutide weight loss effect

Chinese biotech firm is among dozens of mainland drug makers seeking to compete in the global market for diabetes and weight-loss drugs.

Fosun Group

Fosun’s Henlius in talks with Johnson & Johnson, Roche on cancer drug

Shanghai Henlius Biotech is in talks with multinational pharmaceutical firms about selling them the rights to an experimental cancer drug.

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