China's innovative drugs are achieving more and more global recognition as leading firms in the field kept investing in research and development while upholding cutting-edge concepts. Data showed that in the first half of 2025, there were a total of 72 out-licensing transactions in the field of innovative drugs in China, which was close to the 94 transactions in the whole year of 2024. The total transaction amount also reached 60 billion U.S. dollars, 16 percent higher than the 51.9 billion U.S. dollars in the whole year of 2024. In October 2023, the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody produced by Junshi Biosciences became the first innovative drug developed by a Chinese company to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At present, Junshi's PD-1 has received approval in 40 countries and regions. The company's successful listing played a key role in the development and production of the drug, according to one of the company's leading officials. "We were listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market in 2021. During the IPO period, the funds we raised played a key role in supporting our research, development and production," said Zhang Zhuobing, deputy general manager of Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd. Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, another leading company with experience in neuroscience and oncology, has also launched multiple innovative products. "True innovation doesn't necessarily mean 100-percent new molecules. You don't focus on the molecule itself. The focus should be on patient value, and we have done actually a lot of our research through that path," said Zhou Gaobo, chief investment officer of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group. China's outbound licensing deals for innovative drugs reached nearly 66 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2025. "We don't think of ourselves as simply selling products. We're thinking of ourselves as building the right platforms that can create products that can be partnered outside of China. For example, we developed a T-cell engager platform, our ADC (Antibody-Drug Conjugates) platform. All these things are established that it can continuously provide products that can be out-licensed abroad," said Zhou. SHOTLIST: Shanghai, China - Recent 1. Various of researchers working in lab; 2. Various of drug production in progress; 3. Various of researcher working in lab; 4. Zhang Zhuobing, deputy general manager of Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd, talking in lab; 5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhang Zhuobing, deputy general manager of Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (starting with shot 4/ending with shot 6): "We were listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market in 2021. During the IPO period, the funds we raised played a key role in supporting our research, development and production."; 6. Various of researchers working in lab; 7. Sign reading (Chinese/English) "State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development"; 8. Various of Zhou Gaobo, chief investment officer of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, talking in lab; 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Zhou Gaobo, chief investment officer, Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (ending with shot 10): "True innovation doesn't necessarily mean 100-percent new molecules. You don't focus on the molecule itself. The focus should be on patient value, and we have done actually a lot of our research through that path."; 10. Various of researchers working in lab; 11. Zhou speaking; 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Zhou Gaobo, chief investment officer, Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (starting with shot 11/ending with shot 13): "We don't think of ourselves as simply selling products. We're thinking of ourselves as building the right platforms that can create products that can be partnered outside of China. For example, we developed a T-cell engager platform, our ADC (Antibody-Drug Conjugates) platform. All these things are established that it can continuously provide products that can be out-licensed abroad."; 13. Various of researchers working in lab, machine in operation. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]