Journalists learned from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on the same day that the number of innovative drugs approved for marketing in China reached 76 in 2025, a significant increase from the 48 approved in the whole year of 2024, hitting a new record high. In addition, the total value of overseas licensing deals for China's innovative drugs exceeded 130 billion US Dollars in 2025, with the number of licensing transactions surpassing 150, also setting a new all-time high.
It is reported that the 76 innovative drugs approved by the NMPA in 2025 consist of 47 chemical drugs, 23 biological products and 6 traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Among the 47 chemical drugs, 38 are domestically-developed innovative drugs and 9 are imported ones, with domestic innovative drugs accounting for 80.85%. Of the 23 biological products, 21 are domestically-developed innovative drugs and 2 are imported ones, making the proportion of domestic innovative drugs stand at 91.30%.
A relevant person in charge of the NMPA stated that the research and development of First-In-Class (FIC) drugs featuring brand-new therapeutic mechanisms is the most challenging. In 2025, 11 First-In-Class drugs were approved in China, 4 of which were independently developed by Chinese entities.
