The 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress will be held in Madrid from October 23‑27, and Chinese innovators are stealing the spotlight. A record 28 Chinese studies have been accepted as Late‑Breaking Abstracts, with four earning coveted plenary oral slots – roughly one‑third of all core LBAs. Overall, China accounts for about 32% of the 96 drug‑related abstracts, up sharply from the previous year. More than numbers, the quality of the research is evolving. Chinese teams are moving beyond PD‑1 antibody data to cutting‑edge platforms such as antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies and the next‑generation “IO 2.0” approach. New candidates target hard‑to‑treat cancers like EGFR‑TKI‑resistant non‑small cell lung cancer, HER2‑low breast cancer and CLDN18.2‑positive gastric cancer. These advances are turning Chinese drugs from participants into leaders in global oncology, sparking strong market reactions for listed biotech firms. At the same time, license‑out agreements are accelerating the flow of Chinese assets into multinational R&D pipelines, providing a fresh source of revenue. For investors, the Invesco Hang Seng Innovative Drug ETF (513780) offers a simple, one‑click way to gain exposure to this fast‑growing sector. As always, potential investors should read the fund’s prospectus, understand the risks, and consider their own risk tolerance before committing capital.
Read moreChinese biotech firms are finally clearing the toughest gate in drug development – the global Phase III trial – and earning U.S. FDA approvals that were once rare for China‑origin medicines. Junshi Biosciences’ immunotherapy toripalimab, combined with chemotherapy, more than doubled the time patients with nasopharyngeal cancer lived without disease progression, earning FDA clearance in October 2023 as the first such treatment for this cancer. BeiGene’s tislelizumab cleared a massive 512‑patient, 11‑country study in esophageal cancer and won U.S. approval in 2024. Even the complex CAR‑T cell therapy ciltacabtagene autoleucel, co‑developed with Johnson & Johnson, proved superior to standard care in global Phase III trials and received FDA clearance for earlier‑line use. These successes sit alongside zanubrutinib, now the world’s top‑selling BTK inhibitor, and a pipeline of promising candidates such as Akeso’s iwocizumab, Kelun‑Biotech’s lucansatuzumab and Hengrui’s oral GLP‑1 drug HRS‑7535, all heading into late‑stage global studies. The industry’s focus has shifted from “Can we make a drug?” to “How many can we bring to patients worldwide?” While more projects will inevitably stumble in Phase III, the growing wave of approvals shows Chinese innovators are increasingly able to compete on the world stage.
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