China is emerging as a global powerhouse in pharmaceutical innovation, driven by vibrant research, efficient regulatory progress and vast collaborative opportunities.

On July 21, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved a novel selective orexin-2 receptor agonist – the first global multi-center, original-target drug to receive world-first approval in China.  

The therapy treats narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) in patients aged 16 and above. Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable daytime sleepiness, cataplexy triggered by emotional stimulation, and disrupted nighttime sleep. It was added to the national rare-disease list in 2023.

China has an estimated 700,000 narcolepsy patients, of whom 75-80% have NT1. The disorder typically strikes between the ages of 10 and 20 – a critical period for schooling and career development. The condition severely affects patients' academic performance, work productivity and social interactions, while also raising the risk of traffic accidents and contributing to higher rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

The drug was simultaneously filed in the United States, Japan, and other markets, but China granted the first approval, marking a historic breakthrough in original-target drug development from early discovery to global registration.  

Historically, novel drugs debuted in Western markets, leaving Chinese patients waiting years. Now, with regulatory alignment and growing multinational participation, China is a key player in parallel global development. 

In 2025, international multi-center clinical trial registrations in China hit 410, up over 20% year on year, according to data from NMPA.  

The NMPA said that China's clinical trial technical guidelines are in line with global practices, and that mutual recognition of clinical data and outcomes is being steadily promoted. Yang Zhimin, deputy head of the NMPA's drug evaluation center, said that China's clinical trials are drawing worldwide innovation and embedding themselves deeply into the global R&D framework.

Industry data show 38 innovative drugs were approved in China in the first half of 2026, of which 31 were home-grown medicines. 

By the end of 2025, China's pipeline totaled 4,751 candidate drugs – 33.7% of the global total. Recent world-first approvals include a solid-tumor CAR-T therapy, a rabies bispecific antibody, and an invasive brain-computer interface device.  

Outbound licensing deals for Chinese innovative drugs reached roughly $110 billion from January to June, hitting 80% of 2025's full-year total, covering oncology, metabolism, immunology and neurology, with buyers across 20 countries and regions.  

Hainan Province, leveraging its Boao Lecheng pilot zone, has introduced new measures to accelerate imported drug adoption and local transformation.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China also pledged stronger supply guarantees for children, the elderly, and rare-disease patients, vowing that more home-grown novel medicines will reach patients both at home and abroad – affordably and swiftly.

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Hainan fosters cutting-edge technology and affordable healthcare