Chongqing's Biopharmaceutical Innovation Gains Momentum with 299 New Drugs Approved During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Industry DynamicsRecently, the General Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government issued a notice on the issuance of the "Several Measures for the Full-chain Support of High-quality Development of Innovative Drugs in Chongqing." The Several Measures propose that by 2027, the city will approve the listing of 1-3 innovative drugs each year, with the total number of innovative drugs reaching 10; cultivate 3 industrial innovation complexes; build 3 high-level innovation platforms; and create 3 innovative drug industry clusters.
 

Among the measures, in terms of innovation, the "Several Measures" proposed to compile a priority R&D list for innovative drugs. For projects on the list, there will be early intervention and full-process services, with support provided in clinical trials, registration, production, financing, and other stages to accelerate R&D and market entry.
 

In fact, Chongqing has built a full-chain support system for pharmaceutical innovation in recent years, focusing on multiple aspects such as research and development, clinical transformation, market entry, and medical insurance payment. A series of strong measures have been implemented. For instance, in December 2022, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization issued the "Chongqing Biomedical Industry '14th Five-Year Plan'". The plan establishes four basic principles: "adhering to innovation-driven development, systematic advancement, open cooperation, and leading by example." It proposes that by 2025, the scale of Chongqing's biomedical industry will steadily grow, aiming to exceed 200 billion yuan.
 

In January 2025, the General Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government issued the "Chongqing Action Plan for Promoting the Integrated and Innovative Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Industry (2025-2027)." The Action Plan proposes that by 2027, the city will cultivate and build two TCM industrial clusters with a value of 10 billion yuan each and four with a value of 5 billion yuan each. Additionally, it aims to nurture one leading TCM enterprise with revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan, two TCM enterprises with revenue of 5 billion yuan each, and attract or cultivate more than five enterprises listed among China’s top 100 traditional Chinese medicine manufacturers, with an average annual compound growth rate of over 8% in the output value of the TCM industry.
 

With the support and assistance of numerous policies, Chongqing has achieved several remarkable outcomes in the development of the innovative drug industry. In 2024, the launch of GENRIX BIO's Selicibart Injection marked a "zero breakthrough" for Chongqing’s innovative drugs. It is reported that Selicibart Injection is the first product approved for marketing by GENRIX BIO, and also the first fully human IL-17A target drug in China.
 

Notably, in June 2025, GENRIX BIO (Chongqing Genrix Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) entered into an exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement with Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc. for GR1803 Injection. Under the agreement, Cullinan will pay GENRIX BIO an upfront payment of $20 million, along with potential development, regulatory approval, and sales milestone payments totaling up to $692 million.
 

In November 2025, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd.'s Pucilcel Injection was approved, becoming China's first CAR-T drug for treating refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adolescents. Unlike traditional CAR-T products that use murine anti-human CD19 scFv (single-chain variable fragment), this drug adopts a humanized modification design of the murine structure in its core framework.
 

According to reports, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Chongqing's innovative drugs have achieved multiple "zero" breakthroughs. A total of 299 new drugs have been approved for marketing with an average annual growth rate of 82%. Additionally, 4,710 new medical device products have been approved, with an average annual growth rate of 15%. Meanwhile, the number of pharmaceutical, medical device, and cosmetics manufacturing enterprises across the city has increased by 168, representing a 36% growth.
 

Against the backdrop of focusing on the innovation in pharmaceuticals and medical devices R&D, and striving to build a YU Medicine innovation ecosystem, the momentum of pharmaceutical innovation in Chongqing will continue to improve. In the next three years, it is expected that 1 to 3 innovative drugs will be approved for marketing each year.
 

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