China’s drug industry pivots to AI-powered candidates to drive next wave of dealsChina develops 30 per cent of new therapies worldwide as it rises to the top tier in innovation efficiency, drug supervision official says2-MIN READ2-MIN0ListenPublished: 6:15pm, 13 Jul 2026Updated: 6:18pm, 13 Jul 2026After China’s cross-border deals for innovative drugs hit a record US$110 billion in the first half of 2026, the sector is now pivoting towards Artificial Intelligence-powered candidates to drive the next wave of transactions.China accounted for about 30 per cent of all new drugs currently under development worldwide, ranking second globally, according to Lan Gongtao, deputy director general of the Department of Drug Registration at the National Medical Products Administration.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x
SRCSouth China Morning Post
LANGEN
LEANCenter-Right
WORDS115
ENT5
MON · 2026-07-13 · 10:15 GMTBRIEF NSR-2026-0713-92622
NSR-2026-0713-92622News Report·EN·Economic Impact
China’s drug industry pivots to AI-powered candidates to drive next wave of deals
Following a record US$110 billion in cross-border deals for innovative drugs in the first half of 2026, China's drug industry is shifting its focus to artificial intelligence-powered drug candidates to fuel future transactions. China currently develops approximately 30 percent of new drugs globally, positioning it second worldwide in innovation efficiency, according to Lan Gongtao, deputy director general of the Department of Drug Registration at the National Medical Products Administration.
Julie ZhangSouth China Morning PostFiled 2026-07-13 · 10:15 GMTLean · Center-RightRead · 1 min
South China Morning PostFIG 01
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1min
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115words
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1cited
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5entities
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100%
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Briefing Summary
AI-generatedNEWSAR · AI
Following a record US$110 billion in cross-border deals for innovative drugs in the first half of 2026, China's drug industry is shifting its focus to artificial intelligence-powered drug candidates to fuel future transactions. China currently develops approximately 30 percent of new drugs globally, positioning it second worldwide in innovation efficiency, according to Lan Gongtao, deputy director general of the Department of Drug Registration at the National Medical Products Administration. This strategic pivot towards AI-driven development aims to capitalize on the sector's growing capabilities and drive the next wave of deals within the industry.
Confidence 0.85Sources 1Claims 3Entities 5
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Article analysis
Model · rule-basedFraming
Economic Impact
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AI-assessed
CalmNeutralAlarmist
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0.90 / 1.00
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Key claims
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China’s cross-border deals for innovative drugs hit a record US$110 billion in the first half of 2026
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China accounted for about 30 per cent of all new drugs currently under development worldwide
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China develops 30 per cent of new therapies worldwide
factualLan Gongtao, deputy director general of the Department of Drug Registration at the National Medical Products Administration
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Full report
1 min read · 115 words§ 05
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8 termsai-powered candidates
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drug industry
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next wave of deals
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innovation efficiency
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new therapies
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china
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drug supervision
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cross-border deals
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