A breakthrough was announced at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting in Washington when Shanghai Heper Pharmaceuticals unveiled Phase II results for its experimental hepatitis B drug, Hepalatide. The double‑blind study showed that the medicine, which blocks the virus from entering liver cells, could reverse resistance to interferon therapy in patients who test positive for the three major hepatitis B markers. Even more striking, a subset of participants cleared the virus’s stubborn cccDNA, achieving what experts call a “sterilising cure” – the highest benchmark for hepatitis B treatment worldwide. The news arrives as China accelerates its push for homegrown innovative medicines, with new insurance schemes that blend public and commercial coverage to speed hospital access to cutting‑edge therapies. While Hepalatide’s success marks a major step forward, officials stress that broader reforms—such as improving diagnostic pathways for sleep disorders and streamlining administrative inspections—are also underway to support a healthier, more efficient medical system. The combined effort signals a hopeful future for patients battling chronic hepatitis B and underscores China’s growing role in global drug innovation.
Read moreChina’s pharmaceutical sector has reached a new high: in just the first half of this year, Chinese innovators have licensed drugs abroad worth more than $100 billion – a record for any single year. The surge reflects years of reforms that improved drug approval rules, strengthened patent protection and attracted talent and capital back to the country. But the celebration is tempered by a stark weakness: most of the licensed medicines are “fast‑follows,” meaning they are adaptations of drugs originally created by foreign companies. Experts say China still struggles to generate its own breakthrough ideas, especially in hot areas like monoclonal antibodies, CAR‑T cells and gene therapies. At a recent industry conference, leading scientists highlighted six key hurdles, from the need for new treatments for chronic and infectious diseases, children, rare conditions and emergency scenarios, to an uneven disease focus and duplicated R&D efforts. Data show that only 13 % of the top Chinese firms’ pipelines are truly first‑in‑class, compared with 38 % for the world’s biggest pharma groups. While Chinese doctors are now leading large international clinical trials—a huge step up from the 1990s—the sector still needs stronger basic research to move from rapid adaptation to genuine invention and secure long‑term global leadership.
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