New Drug Approvals in China: An International Comparative Analysis, 2019-2023

Over the past five years, China's pharmaceutical industry has rapidly developed but still lags behind global leaders. This study aims to analyze and compare the trends in new drug approvals in China, the United States (US), the European Union (EU), and Japan from 2019 to 2023.

Data on new drug approvals were collected from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), including information on the generic name, trade name, applicants, target, approval date, drug type, approved indications, therapeutic area, the highest R&D status in China, and special approval status. The approval time gaps between China and other regions were calculated.

From 2019 to 2023, China led with 256 new drug approvals, followed by the US (243 approvals), the EU (191 approvals), and Japan (187 approvals). Oncology, hematology, and infectiology were identified as the leading therapeutic areas globally and in China. Notably, PD-1 and EGFR inhibitors saw substantial approval, with 8 drugs each approved by the NMPA. China significantly reduced the approval timeline gap with the US and the EU since 2021, approving 15 first-in-class drugs during the study period.

Despite COVID-19 challenges, China has improved in both the quantity and speed of new drug approvals, narrowing timeline gaps with major markets and enhancing its global pharmaceutical presence.