China’s pharmaceuticals industry is growing up

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The number of scientists working on gene and cell therapy drugs has almost doubled since last year

campus of BeiGene, a biotechnology company in Beijing, has all the trappings of a well-heeled research laboratory. They include screening machines to test the 500,000 compounds in BeiGene’s library, its animal-testing quarters with 10,000 creatures—and Wu Xiaobin, who last year left a job as Pfizer’s head for China to run the Chinese firm’s domestic operations. Signs of expansion are all around—especially for research on cutting-edge treatments that include gene and cell therapies.

At the same time, consolidation of drug procurement by state hospitals that began in 2015 squeezed the bloated prices of generic drugs. By one estimate, this freed up $30bn a year for pricier medicines such as the newest cancer drugs. Some 400m Chinese now have health-insurance plans that cover these.

Although they often started out licensing foreign drugs, either approved or in late-stage development, for the domestic market, Chinese firms soon set up their own drug-discovery programmes. These days they have global ambitions from the start, says Mr Le Deu—with eyes on the lucrative American market. Several are running late-stage clinical trials there and in Europe. In 2018 Chinese companies started 26 multiregional clinical trials, up from four in 2013.

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Eu: meu Deus as patente tudo em mandarim até quando A resposta: até sempre

ogefiladimeji Some of our clients at Addiction Recovery Centre come to us having developed serious drug problems as a result of buying drugs online. We have had great success in treating these people, but this is a growing problem.

alllibertynews All countries should concentrate more on natural products but they won't because of profit. Herbs and rain Forrest products are safer and effective

Plenty of tainted and counterfeit drugs coming in from China.

Too bad the other Chinese medicine hasn't ever had a similar affect

India is a powerhouse here too, they make like 20% of the world's generic drugs which also helps drive costs down

Meaning China is charging ahead (while the US is distracted by Trump and fighting minorities).

Lads in Cork selling Roche 5's €2 each

Too bad they're pouring melamine into the actual drugs.

Appears to be going as planned:

Congratulations China! The world is in need of your progress, in all areas. Including gene therapy drugs!

They’d better hurry up. Relying on stolen technology will soon be a thing of the past.

Glad someone is looking further into genes. I just wish in America we could stay on top of math, science, technology, and healthcare research.

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