China’s 15th Five-Year Plan targets 25% global share of first-in-class drugs by 2030
On September 18, ten Chinese government departments released the 15th Five-Year Plan for pharmaceutical industry development, covering 2026-2030. It sets 2030 targets including first-in-class drugs accounting for at least 25% of the global total, five blockbuster drugs with over $1 billion in annual sales, and 50 companies with revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan. The plan emphasizes AI-driven drug discovery, quantum computing, gene editing, and space-based manufacturing, aiming to make biopharmaceuticals a national pillar industry.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Summary covers the current reports
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
China's 15th Five-Year Plan Targets AI-Driven Drug R&D, 25% Global Share for First-in-Class Drugs
On September 18, ten Chinese ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the 'Pharmaceutical Industry Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Period' (2026-2030). The plan sets a target that by 2030, first-in-class (FIC) new drugs developed by Chinese companies should account for no less than 25% of the global total. It outlines 10 quantitative indicators, including annual revenue of at least 3.5 trillion yuan for pharmaceutical firms above designated size, average R&D intensity of over 10% for listed pharmaceutical companies, and at least 200 innovative medical devices approved. The plan explicitly calls for accelerating AI-enabled drug R&D, developing pharmaceutical vertical large models and intelligent agents, and applying technologies such as quantum computing, supercomputing, and computational medicine. It also emphasizes frontier technologies including gene editing, molecular precision delivery, cell programming, organoids, and brain-computer interfaces. The plan aims to make the biopharmaceutical industry a national emerging pillar industry by 2030, building on progress during the 14th Five-Year period when 230 innovative drugs and 292 innovative medical devices were approved.
Read sourceChina's 15th Five-Year Plan Urges AI, Quantum Computing to Boost Drug R&D
On September 18, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and eight other departments jointly released the '15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry.' The plan calls for accelerating the deployment of cutting-edge technologies in drug research and development, specifically mentioning artificial intelligence, quantum computing, supercomputing, and computational medicine. It also proposes exploring new manufacturing models for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, including ultra-limit manufacturing, space-based pharmaceuticals, and bio-manufacturing. Additionally, the plan aims to deepen the application of frontier technologies such as gene editing, precise molecular delivery, cell programming, advanced omics, and next-generation brain-computer interfaces. Key technology breakthroughs are targeted in areas like synthetic artificial life systems, organoids, universal cell therapies, complex regenerative organs, theranostic radiopharmaceuticals, and xenotransplantation organs, with the goal of cultivating new growth drivers for the industry.
Read sourceChina Issues 15th Five-Year Plan to Boost Drug R&D with AI and Quantum Tech
On September 18, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and nine other departments jointly released the '15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry.' The plan calls for accelerating the deployment of frontier technologies to empower drug research and development, specifically naming artificial intelligence, quantum computing, supercomputing, and computational medicine. It also encourages exploring novel production models for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, including ultra-limit manufacturing, space-based pharmaceutical manufacturing, and biomanufacturing. Additionally, the plan aims to deepen the application of gene editing, precise molecular delivery, cell programming, advanced omics, and next-generation brain-computer interfaces. Key technological breakthroughs are targeted in areas such as synthetic artificial life systems, organoids, universal cell therapies, complex regenerative organs, theranostic radiopharmaceuticals, and xenotransplantation organs, with the goal of cultivating new growth drivers for the industry.
Show 3 older updatesHide older updates
China's 15th Five-Year Plan for Pharma Industry Highlights Space-Based Drugs, Gene Editing
On September 18, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and nine other departments jointly released the '15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry.' The Plan sets ambitious goals for 2030, including keeping China at the forefront of biomedical R&D globally, achieving systematic breakthroughs in key core technologies, and accelerating the transformation of the biomedical industry into a new national pillar. Specific targets include operating revenues exceeding 3.5 trillion yuan for above-scale pharmaceutical enterprises, an average annual growth rate of over 20% for the innovative drug industry, and more than five drugs achieving annual global sales exceeding $1 billion. The Plan outlines 25 key tasks across eight areas, including leading innovation, strengthening industrial foundations, digital and intelligent transformation, and precision medicine. It specifically calls for accelerating deployment of frontier technologies such as AI, quantum computing, space-based pharmaceutical manufacturing, gene editing, organoids and organ-on-a-chip, synthetic artificial life systems, and next-generation brain-computer interfaces. The Plan also emphasizes attracting foreign pharmaceutical enterprises to expand full-chain operations in China and leveraging Free Trade Zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port for cross-border data flow and regulatory cooperation.
Read sourceChina's 15th Five-Year Plan Targets 25% Global Share of First-in-Class Drugs by 2030
On September 18, ten Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Medical Products Administration, jointly released the '15th Five-Year Plan for Pharmaceutical Industry Development,' covering 2026-2030. The plan sets several quantifiable targets for 2030: revenue of at least 3.5 trillion yuan for large-scale pharmaceutical enterprises, first-in-class (FIC) drugs accounting for no less than 25% of the global total, at least 200 innovative medical device approvals, annual growth of over 20% in the innovative drug sector, 50 companies with annual revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan, 20 industrial parks with output over 100 billion yuan, and at least five 'blockbuster' drugs with global annual sales exceeding $1 billion. The plan emphasizes original innovation, supporting FIC and best-in-class (BIC) drugs, and for the first time includes FIC global share as a quantitative indicator. It also highlights AI-driven pharmaceutical R&D, supporting the development of high-quality datasets, vertical large models, and intelligent agents. Wen Shuhao, chairman of XtalPi, commented that the plan marks a shift from single-point AI technology exploration to systematic empowerment of the entire pharmaceutical industry chain.
Read sourceChina's 15th Five-Year Plan Targets 25% Global Share of First-in-Class Drugs by 2030
China's 15th Five-Year Plan for pharmaceutical industry development, released on September 18 by ten government departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, sets ambitious targets for 2030: first-in-class (FIC) innovative drugs to account for at least 25% of the global total, five blockbuster drugs with annual global sales exceeding $1 billion each, 50 companies with annual revenue over 10 billion yuan, and 20 industrial parks with output above 100 billion yuan. The plan marks a strategic shift from the 14th Five-Year Plan's focus on scale growth and R&D efficiency to global innovation competitiveness and commercial value. Industry experts interviewed by Caixin, including Latitude Health founder Zhao Heng and biopharma executive Yang Tao, note that achieving these targets requires moving beyond pipeline quantity to original innovation and global commercialization capabilities. The plan also emphasizes AI-driven drug discovery, specifying applications in target screening, molecular design, and clinical trial optimization. Companies like Innovent Biologics, Junshi Biosciences, Insilico Medicine, and XtalPi have outlined strategies aligned with the plan's goals, including global clinical trials and AI-powered R&D platforms.
Read source