Made in China: New and Potentially Lifesaving Drugs
Ms. Carney said she expected 20 or 30 Chinese-made drugs to seek Phase 3 trials in the United
States, the world’s biggest market for cancer drugs, within the next five years.
“The funds are chasing us,” she said, comparing the investment environment between China
and the United States, “instead of us having to spend numerous hours convincing investors.”
Despite the optimism, Chinese pharmaceutical companies that want to go abroad still face obstacles.
Laura Nelson Carney, an Asia-Pacific health care analyst at Bernstein Research, said
that based on the industry average, the probability of success in Phase 3 trials is 60 to 70 percent.
Along with Chi-Med, another company, BeiGene, is already in Phase 3 trials globally for a drug used to treat a variety of lymphomas, the most common form of blood cancer,
and an immunotherapy drug that aims to destroy tumors.
After 20 years in the United States with Eli Lilly and Pfizer, Joan Shen moved to Shanghai in 2011 to lead clinical trials for Pfizer.