July in Shanghai — heat waves rippled through the air, but the atmosphere at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) was even more electric.

 

On July 22, the inaugural "Great Nation New Drugs" Global Conference (CPIC 2026) kicked off in Shanghai. It was a conference that could not have come at a better time. As China's pharmaceutical industry, having gone through the accumulation phase of generics and the catch-up phase of Me-too/Me-better, has now made truly First-in-Class innovative drugs the core theme of its development.

 

The highly anticipated CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Awards were officially announced at the opening ceremony.

 

After multiple rounds of rigorous professional evaluation, seven breakthrough FIC drugs stood out and took the stage to claim the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Awards. Behind this moment lies the global recognition of China's clinical research capabilities, regulatory efficiency, and market value — a testament to the growing maturity of China's pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem.

 

Over the past five years, China's innovative drug industry has achieved a historic leap.

 

In 2025, the NMPA approved 76 innovative drugs for market launch. Among the 47 approved chemical drugs, 38 were domestically developed, accounting for 80.85%; among the 23 approved biologics, 21 were domestic, accounting for 91.30%. Domestic innovative drugs have transitioned from supporting players to the absolute mainstream.

 

Even more noteworthy, among the FIC drugs approved by the NMPA in 2025, four were independently developed by Chinese companies and launched first in the Chinese market. Entering 2026, this momentum has only accelerated. In the first half of the year alone, the NMPA approved 38 Class 1 new drugs, including 11 original drugs with entirely new targets and mechanisms — all domestically developed. Just yesterday, a selective orexin type 2 receptor agonist for the treatment of narcolepsy was approved in China, achieving a global first launch. China is becoming a major source of global FIC drugs.

 

According to data from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), from 2016 to 2025, China's share of global clinical trials for the most innovative drugs grew sixfold, reaching 30%.

 

The era of China's original innovative drugs has arrived. The establishment of the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Awards is a response to this moment — focusing on original drugs that achieved global first launches in China, showcasing benchmark achievements in Chinese pharmaceutical innovation to the world, and inspiring more Chinese pharmaceutical professionals to reach new heights of innovation.

 

The award evaluates drugs based on three core dimensions: technological breakthrough, clinical value significance, and market potential. The selection process began with Pharma Intelligence (Yaozhi.com) screening 22 drugs that achieved first launches in China over the past five years (2021–2026). A judging panel consisting of pharmaceutical chief analysts from ten securities firms and Wu Wenjun, Editor-in-Chief of Pharma Notes, was specially invited to conduct professional voting, producing a "TOP 10" shortlist. The conference organizing committee then finalized the selection of seven award-winning drugs.

 

The selection was independently verified by Ernst & Young (EY), a global professional services firm, serving as the independent third-party assurance body to ensure fairness and transparency. Fei Fan, EY Greater China Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector Co-Leader, and Chen Qiujin, Chief Operating Officer of Forbes China Group, jointly served as witnesses. Professor Chen Kaixian, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was invited to attend and read the list of awardees.

 

Professor Chen Kaixian received the sealed envelope containing the award results from Mr. Fei Fan and Ms. Chen Qiujin.

 

 

The seven award-winning drugs are as follows:

 

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Lunkan Yilongtuo Monoclonal Antibody is the world's first and only approved bispecific ADC drug, independently developed by Baili Tiantheng. It achieved its global first launch in China in June 2026 for third-line treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, marking China's leading position in the ADC bispecific antibody technology pathway globally.

 

Sun Yongkui, Academician of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and Director of the Shanghai Center for Innovative Drug Development, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Dr. Zhu Yi, Founder and Chairman of Baili Tiantheng.

 

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Ivonescimab is the world's first approved PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, independently developed by Akeso Biopharma. It is the only drug globally that has demonstrated statistically significant superior efficacy over the "King of Drugs" pembrolizumab in a head-to-head Phase III clinical trial.

 

 

Qiu Huawei, Chairman of China Resources Sanjiu, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Mr. Guo Yong, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Akeso Biopharma.

 

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Mazdutide is the world's first approved GCG/GLP-1 dual receptor agonist, developed by Innovent Biologics. Its clinical data have been successively published in Nature, NEJM, and JAMA — making it the only GLP-1-class drug globally to have appeared in all three top-tier journals. This marks China's entry into the global forefront of metabolic drug R&D.

 

 

He Ruyi, Dean of the Shanghai Global Health Innovation Institute, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Dr. Ding Nier, Senior Vice President of Innovent Biologics.

 

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Soricibtagene Autoleucel is the world's first CAR-T product approved for solid tumors, independently developed by CARsgen Therapeutics. It breaks the industry bottleneck that has confined CAR-T therapies to hematological malignancies for over a decade, opening the door to cell therapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

 

 

Zhu Xun, Founding Chairman of the Tongxieyi New Drug Talent Club, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Dr. Li Zonghai, Founder and Chairman of the Board of CARsgen Therapeutics.

 

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Telitacicept is the world's first BLyS/APRIL dual-target fusion protein, independently developed by RemeGen. It received approval five years ahead of comparable foreign first-in-class drugs. Its approved indications in China have now expanded to five, making it a benchmark Chinese FIC drug in the autoimmune disease field.

 

 

Wang Junfeng, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Legend Capital, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Mr. Tong Shaojing, CFO of RemeGen.

 

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Cumosilix is the world's first CDK2/4/6 triple-target inhibitor, independently developed by Sino Biopharmaceutical / Chia Tai Tianqing. It directly addresses the clinical challenge of CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance while reducing the risk of myelosuppression, opening a new pathway for late-line treatment of advanced breast cancer.

 

 

Dr. Cheng Zengjiang, Executive Chairman of the Conference, Founder/Chairman of Tongxieyi, and Vice President of the China Food and Drug Safety Promotion Association, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Mr. Xie Xin, Executive Director and Senior Vice President of Sino Biopharmaceutical.

 

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Rilafusp-α is the world's first PD-L1/TGF-β bifunctional fusion protein, independently developed by Hengrui Medicine. It is indicated for first-line treatment of PD-L1-positive gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Through dual-target synergistic action, it systemically remodels the tumor microenvironment, providing a Chinese solution for second-generation immunotherapy.

 

 

Shen Lin, former Vice President of Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute and Director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Department, presented the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Award to Dr. Zhang Lianshan, Director and Executive Vice President of Hengrui Medicine.

 

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The CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Awards are not only an affirmation of the winning companies, but also a tribute to all Chinese pharmaceutical professionals who dare to push the boundaries of innovation.

 

From countless sleepless nights in the laboratory, to the accumulation of data through clinical research, to the long journey of final regulatory approval — behind every new drug lies the unwavering commitment of Chinese pharmaceutical professionals over more than a decade. This honor belongs not only to the seven companies on stage, but also to the countless others still striving upward.

 

The curtain has just risen on the inaugural "Great Nation New Drugs" Global Conference (CPIC 2026), and the story of China's original innovative drugs is only just beginning.

 

For China's pharmaceutical industry, this is not merely a review of achievements, but a collective response to the future. The significance of this conference extends far beyond the awards themselves — the story of innovation and breakthrough continues.