China's commitment to supporting the R&D and market entry of imported innovative drugs underscores its broader efforts to open up the pharmaceutical sector further and also reflects its "patient-centered, clinically driven" approach to drug development, said a senior executive.

"The country has made significant strides in enhancing the quality and efficiency of pharmaceutical innovation, streamlining regulatory approvals, and shortening review timelines," said Wang Li, senior vice-president at Eli Lilly. 

"The efforts have created more opportunities for innovation-driven pharmaceutical companies in the Chinese market," Wang said.

Wang's remarks followed the launch of its innovative Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, in the Chinese market last week. The drug was approved as a Class 1 Innovative Drug by China's National Medical Products Administration in December last year, just five months after receiving its first global regulatory approval.

"This rapid approval highlights the strong support from regulatory authorities for breakthrough therapies through priority review and approval mechanisms," Wang noted.

Prior to its approval, donanemab had been designated as a breakthrough therapy in China and was included in the priority review pathway, further demonstrating the government's commitment to ensuring Chinese patients gain faster access to cutting-edge treatments, the executive added.

In February, China released the 2025 Action Plan for Stabilizing Foreign Investment, which includes aims to optimize resource allocation in the biopharmaceutical industry, refine policies on its market access, and facilitate the accelerated approval of innovative drugs.

China continues to boost pharmaceutical innovation through regulatory reforms and as a result, "the pace of new drug approvals has significantly accelerated, positioning the country as an increasingly important hub for global pharmaceutical breakthroughs", Wang said.