The global pharmaceutical industry has shifted from Western dominance to a bipolar system led by the United States and China, reported Bloomberg (20 April 2026).
According to the Journal of the Americal Medical Association the number of Chinese drug programmes has increased from 800 in 2015 to more than 6, 000 in 2024; a growth rate of over 600%.
Meanwhile, the US’s share of global research declined. China officially surpassed the US in research volume in 2025, driven by faster, cheaper clinical trials, regulatory reforms and returning Western-trained scientists.
Global pharmaceutical firms are increasingly partnering with Chinese innovators, signing record licensing deals worth $133bn in 2025.
Although the US still leads in breakthrough “first-in-class” drugs, China dominates in speed and volume and the quality gap is narrowing.
“This shift promises more affordable medicines but raises challenges, including regulatory delays and geopolitical risks that could disrupt supply chains and global access to new therapies.”