China biotech’s Cambrian explosion

Something remarkable is happening in Chinese biotech, and it’s happening fast. The country’s drug developers are learning to run — really run — through clinical trials and regulatory approvals. In an industry famous for glacial timelines and billion-dollar budgets, China’s pace feels almost alien.

Chinese companies are developing drugs faster and cheaper than anyone else, including the U.S. And while the early focus has been on copycat drugs and incremental improvements, it’s possible that something more profound might emerge from that ecosystem: a new productive way of developing drugs.