Reference News Network, July 10 report. According to France's "Les Echos", last year, the number of new drug molecules discovered in China exceeded that of the United States, making China the leader in global new drug research and development. Europe fell behind, falling to third place in the world.
According to the report, China is accelerating its rise in the global pharmaceutical field. The annual research report by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations states that in 2024, the number of new drug molecules discovered in China first surpassed those of the United States and Europe.
Before 2000, Europe was the leader in new drug research and development, but that year it was replaced by the United States. Since then, Europe has remained second in the world. Now this situation has been broken: in 2024, Europe not only dropped to third place but also fell far behind.
The report stated that among the 81 new drug molecules developed globally last year, 28 came from companies in China (including Hong Kong), 25 from pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies in the United States, and 18 from companies in Europe. This number for Europe is indeed low, and fairly speaking, the 18 new drugs developed by Europe should not be compared with the 28 from China, but rather with the 33 from Asia, as Japan contributed 5 innovative drugs.
Today, the center of pharmaceutical innovation has shifted to Asia. This phenomenon is evidenced by Western pharmaceutical companies purchasing licenses for Chinese innovative drugs over the past year.
Although Europe remains stable, it has fallen far behind: in 2020, Europe developed 18 new drug molecules, and this number remained the same in 2024. China, on the other hand, steadily increased: in 2020, there were only 7, and in 2021, it jumped to 18, reaching 25 in 2023.
In 2020, the United States had 39 new drugs, which decreased to 35 in 2021, 28 in 2023, and further dropped to 25 last year.
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations believes that the pharmaceutical industry is shifting toward emerging countries due to strong market growth in these countries. (Translated by Wang Zhongju)
Production workshop of Rongchang Biopharma (Yantai) Co., Ltd. located in the Huanghaibei New District of Yantai City, Shandong Province (Xinhua News Agency photo)
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525264764819030562/
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