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Growing Pains: Charting The Rapid Rise Of Chinese IO

Recent events in the Chinese IO space and what this might suggest for the future

 
• By James Drew

Immuno-oncology therapies have revolutionized the treatment of many cancers over the last decade. This period has also witnessed a dramatic growth in China’s domestic pharmaceutical industry, and significant changes in the interaction between this industry and international pharma. This coalescence has led to excitement about the role that Chinese IO could play on the global stage, tempered by regulatory set-backs and revised marketing timelines.   

Production line
• Source: Shutterstock

The past decade has seen an unprecedented rise in Immuno-oncology therapies, driven by the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as PD-(L)1 antibody therapies. In 2021, the ICI market alone was valued at $34bn – 20% of the total oncology market – and is expected to increase to $64bn by 2027, according to Cowen Research. China is an important part of this story and has emerged as a rapidly growing but still maturing IO ecosystem.

From humble beginnings, China has grown to become a critical player in the IO space, see Exhibit 1. In the...

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