Storyline China sets record with 76 innovative drugs approved in 2025 New data shows that China approved market entry for 76 innovative drugs in 2025 as part of a larger effort to improve patient access to new treatment options. Officials from the National Medical Products Administration say the breakdown includes 47 chemical drugs, 23 biological products and 6 traditional Chinese medicines. The NMPA said that in approving 11 First-In-Class drugs, which are challenging to develop because they feature entirely new therapeutic mechanisms, China is showing its prowess on the international biopharmaceutical stage. Lan Gongtao, Deputy Director-General, Department of Drug Registration, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA): "The market entry of these innovative drugs in China enables patients to access the latest advancements in global biomedical research sooner. This development marks a significant leap for our biopharmaceutical sector, transitioning from a position of lagging to one of keeping pace, and in some areas, taking the lead. It underscores China's emergence as a crucial player in the global biopharmaceutical innovation landscape." Data from the NMPA also shows that the total value of China's outbound innovative drug licensing transactions exceeded 130 billion USD in 2025 with more than 150 licensing deals. Today, China ranks second in the world for the number of new drugs under development, with its pipeline accounting for more than one-fifth of the global total. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]