A wave of new medicines is hitting the Chinese market as regulators speed up approvals. On Dec. 22, Merck announced that pimetinib hydrochloride capsules (brand name 贝捷迈) cleared the priority‑review pathway, becoming the first home‑grown, first‑class drug for treating symptomatic tenosynovial giant‑cell tumor. The drug was developed by HeYu Pharmaceuticals, which has partnered with Merck for global commercialization. The momentum didn’t stop there. Zai Lab secured approval on Dec. 23 for its tizoxidine chloride capsule (brand name 凯捷乐), a novel schizophrenia treatment—the first drug with a new mechanism in more than 70 years. The Chinese Medical Association even added it to its 2025 schizophrenia guidelines, marking a historic endorsement. A week earlier, the National Medical Products Administration cleared four more first‑class innovations, including Zhengda Tianqing’s breast‑cancer pill Kuomoxili, Jiankangyuan’s flu drug Mapahciv, and Nuocheng Jianhua’s Zoletripenib tablets. Analysts say this “four‑in‑a‑row” reflects a highly efficient review system and signals a flood of market launches for Chinese R&D. 2025 is already being hailed as the year of domestic anti‑influenza drugs, with several new antivirals such as Marshula sulfate (伊速达) and Auladiw (安睿威) joining the market. In 2024, China approved 48 innovative drugs, and by Dec. 7 the total for the year hit 69—surpassing the previous year’s tally and setting a new record for the country’s pharmaceutical sector.
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