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Live | China Efficiency Accelerates Global Drug Innovation

Jul 23,2026

A "China's JPM" conference opened today in Shanghai, the great Eastern nation.

As part of the Shanghai International Biomedical Industry Week, on July 22, the inaugural "Great Nation New Drugs" Global Conference (CPIC 2026), hosted by Tongxieyi, grandly kicked off at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) .

Under the theme "China Efficiency Accelerating Global Drug Innovation," nearly a thousand guests from 22 countries across five continents gathered in Hongqiao . The strategic vision of MNCs, the innovative edge of biotechs, the delivery capabilities of CROs/CDMOs, the capital foresight of international brokerages, the decisive judgment of top VCs, and the professional expertise of leading law firms and accounting firms converged here .

With rising R&D costs and the unsustainability of relying on a single market, China's accumulated clinical resources and manufacturing capabilities are providing an irreplaceable efficiency engine for global innovation . "R&D in China, Validation Globally, Sharing Worldwide" is now a reality .

Over ten thousand industry professionals from home and abroad gathered on-site for brain-storming discussions . Through the official one-on-one meeting platform, participants across the value chain reached transaction and cooperation intentions .

CPIC is not just a one-day event, but an annual commitment under a long-term strategic partnership with the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) . From now on, Shanghai is the intersection point of global pharmaceutical innovation .

Chapter 1: Opening Ceremony

Kong Fuan
Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Executive Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District

Cheng Zengjiang
Executive Chairman of the Conference; Founder/Chairman of Tongxieyi; Vice President of China Food and Drug Safety Promotion Association

Olivier Charmeil
Executive Vice President, Sanofi

Kong Fuan, Olivier Charmeil, and Dr. Cheng Zengjiang delivered opening addresses respectively.

Wu Zhengping, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of China International Import Expo Bureau and Chairman of National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; Jiang Ge, Deputy Director of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission; Dr. Cheng Zengjiang; Tian Yuan, Chairman of Mevion Medical Systems and Founding Partner of Yuanming Capital; Alexandre EA, Co-Chair of French Healthcare Alliance; Andreas Penk, Co-Founder CEO of EBT and Former President of Pfizer China; Daniel Mathews, EY Global Life Sciences Sector Managing Partner; and Yu Changhai, Chairman of Hong Kong Biotechnology Association, jointly took the stage to unveil the conference.

At the opening ceremony, the CPIC 2026 Original Innovative Drug Awards results were officially announced.

Chapter 2: Keynote Speeches

Session Hosts:

Xia Mingde

Founder, Chairman & CEO, Innolake Biopharm

Duan Xiaohua

Head of External Cooperation, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation

Xie Xiaoliang
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Foreign Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Director of Changping Laboratory

Human Genome at 25: Sequencing Technology Revolution and Big Data-Driven Disease Detection and Drug Development Transformation

We can now precisely and affordably measure a person's genome and transcriptome — even at the single-cell level. This not only enables non-invasive prevention of inherited diseases in newborns, rapid discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies and vaccines during future pandemics, and early screening for multiple cancers, but also accelerates the decoding of the human genome. The integration of genomic big data and AI is already changing the paradigm of biomedical research. While AI is important, the bottleneck for AI in biomedicine is precisely annotated biological big data — AI itself cannot directly generate new biological principles.

Wang Lai
President and Global Head of R&D, BeiGene

BeiGene's Global Innovation Journey

The success of Zanubrutinib stems from two key capabilities: designing a globally competitive molecule and making the right decisions at critical junctures. Early-stage development decisions and investments laid the foundation for Zanubrutinib's tremendous commercial success. In 2026, BeiGene is entering a new R&D era: a closed-loop global R&D framework has taken shape, and the company continues to build globally leading innovative drugs.

Stefan Platz
Senior Vice President, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca's R&D Evolution: China's Strategic Role in Driving Global Innovation

At AstraZeneca, we are fundamentally accelerating drug development — by investing in transformative technologies and platforms, innovation centers such as China, and new approaches to critical R&D drivers such as Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences.

Peng Wei
Deputy General Manager, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings; Chairman, University Biomedical Technology Transfer and Transformation Center (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.

Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group's Innovative Drug Development Strategy

The pharmaceutical industry is in an era of technological explosion. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group is undergoing a transformation toward innovation, restructuring its R&D system, establishing a dedicated pharmaceutical research institute, and actively recruiting talent. Over the next five years, the Group plans to invest RMB 20 billion in R&D and allocate RMB 30 billion for pipeline licensing and M&A.

Chen Zhisheng
CEO, WuXi Biologics; Chairman, WuXi XDC

Large-Scale CRDMO Platforms Driving Sustained High-Speed Growth

"When we founded WuXi Biologics, our dream was to 'make biologics development easier for everyone.' From our first project to reaching the milestone of 1,000 projects, it took us 15 years. Looking ahead, with the continuous emergence of innovative drugs such as ADCs and bispecific antibodies, and AI accelerating innovation in the industry, we believe this number will grow even faster."

Zhu Xun
Founding Chairman, Tongxieyi New Drug Talent Club

Globalization Pathways for China's Biopharmaceutical Industry

Relying solely on circulation within the pharmaceutical circle, me-too modifications, fast-follow strategies, and licensing out product rights to multinational giants cannot sustain a truly globally influential industry befitting a major power. China's pharmaceutical industry must step out of its "comfort zone," take the initiative to establish and promote "China standards" in emerging therapeutic areas and fields with significant Chinese advantages, break free from inertial reliance on past regulatory pathways, and ultimately build a critical mass of innovations to truly gain a voice commensurate with China's status as a major power.

Daniel Mathews
EY Global Life Sciences Sector Managing Partner

EY White Paper Release — Global Life Sciences Transaction Landscape and China's Role

China has become a very important part of the global life sciences innovation network. Global companies are looking more systematically at assets, platforms, and R&D capabilities coming from China. The next priority is to successfully move these innovations into global development, registration, and commercialization systems, and ultimately translate them into better outcomes for patients.

He Ruyi
Dean, Shanghai Global Health Innovation Institute

Analysis of New Trends in U.S. Drug Regulatory Changes

The FDA is rapidly upgrading its regulatory systems across the board — shifting from "event-driven compliance reviews" to a "continuous, globalized, data-driven regulatory system." This integrated system enables the FDA to complete classification assessments quickly through remote review of electronic records. For companies, an era of information asymmetry — a "black box" — is being thoroughly brought to an end.

Anders Gabrielsen
CMO, Suzhou Ribo Life Sciences

First-Efficacy and Safety Data from Phase IIa Study in Subjects with Coronary Artery Disease on the First-in-Class FXI-Targeted siRNA Drug Vortosiran (RBD4059) for Thromboembolism Prevention

This trial provides the first clinical evidence demonstrating that FXI-targeted siRNA can achieve potent, durable, and dose-dependent FXI inhibition upon sustained dosing, with follow-up of 48 to 60 weeks. Vortosiran was generally well-tolerated with a favorable safety profile in chronic CAD patients on aspirin. In patients who completed the high-dose vortosiran regimen (maintenance dose 400 mg), mean maximum FXI activity reduction reached 92%, with the inhibitory effect persisting for months post-dose.

Chapter 3: In-Depth Dialogue

Guest: Zhu Yi
Founder, Chairman, and Chief Scientific Officer, Baili Tiantheng

Host: Cheng Zengjiang
Executive Chairman of the Conference; Founder/Chairman of Tongxieyi; Vice President of China Food and Drug Safety Promotion Association

Baili Tiantheng's MNC Journey

Drug R&D requires talent, determination, and courage; commercialization demands rigorous organizational management.
A good start matters — victories energize the organization, even small wins accumulate over time.
Access to hospitals is challenging, but the out-of-pocket market offers significant development space and opportunities.
A good sales mindset emphasizes finding the right doctors and using the drug on the right patients early in the launch phase — first ensuring physicians are familiar with the drug and patients benefit.
Patient-centered risk management focuses on identifying risk windows, how to recognize them, and how to control them.
As the world's first EGFR/HER3 bispecific ADC, iza-bren's peak sales are expected to exceed US$30 billion.
Blockbuster success requires effort, but luck also plays a role. If Baili Tiantheng had another iza-bren, it would definitely not license it out.
Becoming an MNC is Baili Tiantheng's goal; the licensing-in model is an important part of its development process and a future highlight.
Competition in bispecific ADCs is intensifying, but the question is not about being caught up with, but how well latecomers can perform — me-better and me-worse tell two very different stories.

Guest: Li Zonghai
Founder, Chairman of the Board, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer, CARsgen Therapeutics

Host: Cheng Zengjiang
Executive Chairman of the Conference; Founder/Chairman of Tongxieyi; Vice President of China Food and Drug Safety Promotion Association

Development and Commercialization of the World's First CAR-T for Solid Tumors

The success of Soricibtagene Autoleucel was not achieved overnight; it was built on a foundation of extensive early exploration.
Designing progression-free survival as the primary endpoint for Soricibtagene Autoleucel's clinical trial was largely driven by a full consideration of patients' treatment needs.
Allowing treatment crossover poses a significant challenge for pharmaceutical companies — not only due to higher drug costs but also because efficacy must be evaluated with adjustments.
In the first week of commercialization, overseas patients came to China to receive Soricibtagene Autoleucel treatment.
One of CARsgen's future focuses is off-the-shelf CAR-T — as technology matures, CARsgen aims to explore the frontier and tackle tough challenges.
CARsgen is expected to receive clinical trial approval for off-the-shelf CAR-T for hepatocellular carcinoma next year, placing it in a global leadership position.
Successful off-the-shelf CAR-T could potentially reduce prices to within the scope of health insurance coverage.
Pursuing cancer cures is CARsgen's goal, which inevitably requires overcoming technical hurdles — but years of dedication are precisely for solving these challenges and meeting patient needs.
Through its own commercial team, CARsgen hopes to make Soricibtagene Autoleucel accessible to more Chinese patients.

Chapter 4: Panel Discussions

Moderator: Wang Li
Senior Vice President of Eli Lilly and Head of Lilly China Drug Development and Medical Affairs Center

Panelists:

Sun Yongkui – Academician, U.S. National Academy of Engineering; Director, Shanghai Center for Innovative Drug Development
Wu Xiaobin – Global President and Chief Operating Officer, BeiGene
Shen Hong – Head of Roche China Innovation Center; Global Senior Vice President
Kendra Rose – Senior Vice President, Global Business Development & Licensing, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division
Rogier Janssens – President of Merck China; Head of Merck Life Science Business China
Han Liang – Managing Partner, Fangda Law Firm

How MNCs Leverage China Efficiency to Accelerate Global Innovation

China efficiency is not just about speed; it also involves capability, including problem-solving skills. Leveraging this comprehensive advantage can exponentially accelerate clinical execution.
Ten years ago, MNCs viewed China primarily as a commercial market; now they must change their mindset, leverage China's ecosystem, and collaborate with local partners to drive global innovation.
Through MNCs, Chinese assets are significantly benefiting patients in developed countries. The next question is how to extend these benefits to more patients in developing countries.
Innovation R&D cannot be separated from compliance — and compliance is dynamic. Pharma companies need a broad roadmap to analyze compliance priorities at different stages and across different tracks.

Moderator: Yang Dajun
Chairman and CEO, Ascentage Pharma

Panelists:

Tian Wenzhi – Founder and Chairman, ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals
Qiu Huawei – Chairman, China Resources Sanjiu
Ge Junyou – Director, National Engineering Research Center for Biologics Targeted Drugs; CEO, Kelun-Biotech
Sheng Zelin – Chairman and CEO, Zelgen Biopharmaceuticals
Ma Jian – Co-founder and CEO, XtalPi

The Next Five Years of Chinese Innovative Drugs

Two trends in drug R&D remain unchanged: only innovations benchmarked against global standards can gain global market recognition, and all innovation must serve patient benefit.
China's innovation efficiency is high — whether in manufacturing or clinical R&D. Over the next five years, China's product standards aligning with global norms is a high-probability event. The key is how to help more companies survive to see that day.
For traditional pharma companies transitioning, they need to stay attuned to frontiers and prepare collaboration capital, while also leveraging their established commercialization systems.
A "Great Nation New Drug" industry requires a sound ecosystem. Not every biotech needs to become a pharma.

Moderator: Xu Chenming
Head of Global Healthcare International Business, Investment Banking Committee, CITIC Securities

Panelists:

Wang Junfeng – Co-Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, Legend Capital
Wang Ting – Founder and Chief Investment Officer, TruMed
Sun Jialin – General Manager, GTJA Investment Group; Deputy Director, Pharmaceutical Innovation Investment Professional Committee, China Pharmaceutical Innovation Association
Tong Shaojing – CFO, RemeGen

New Trends in Globalized Innovation Investment in Chinese Biotech

Investing early and in novel assets has been a consistent trend in recent years, but executing it truly tests a fund's conviction. Assets with unique clinical value and global top-three positioning have the best chance of succeeding.
The current innovation market is shifting rapidly; investment strategies on the same track must be adjusted in a timely manner — one cannot apply old perspectives to new stages.
Research one step ahead, invest half a step behind — this way you can avoid being a pioneer and capture more upside.
If capital market valuations of biotechs become more differentiated, it actually indicates the market is maturing — for example, moving beyond narrative-driven investment.