First-in-class programs reach 41% of China's out-licensing deals
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In the first three quarters of 2026, drug programs with first-in-class potential made up 41% of China's out-licensing deals, a sharp rise from 27% for full-year 2025 and above the previous peak of 33% in 2024. The figure breaks a three-year stretch in which the share hovered around 30%, pointing to a shift in the composition of Chinese assets sold to overseas partners from fast-follow and me-too molecules toward more novel science. The trend suggests China's biopharma sector is moving up the innovation curve in what it can offer global licensees. Whether the share holds or grows through the rest of 2026 is not yet determined.
Written by a model from the reports · updated 5 hours ago
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- BioCenturyPickChina is growing its first-in-class footprint
In the first three quarters of 2026, programs with first-in-class potential accounted for 41% of China's out-licensing deals, up 14 percentage points from 27% for full-year 2025. The share also exceeds the previous high of 33% in 2024, after hovering around 30% for the past three years.
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