Chinese Pharma Leaders—Hengrui, Qilu, Hansoh, and Innovent—Demonstrate High R&D Activity with Multiple Late-Stage Clinical Trials in April 2026

　　【Pharmaceutical Network | Industry Dynamics] According to data from the U.S. ClinicalTrials.gov database, a total of 866 new corporate capital-led clinical trials were initiated globally in April 2026. The number of new clinical trials launched in that single month exceeded the level of the same period in the previous year, representing a year-on-year increase of 24.96%. Among these, China initiated 142 new clinical trials. Hengrui Pharma, Qilu Pharmaceutical, CHIATAI TIANQING, and Innovent Bio demonstrated outstanding performance, with 8, 7, 6, and 6 clinical trials, respectively.
 

Among the eight new clinical trials initiated by Hengrui Pharma in April, one was a Phase III trial for Hetrombopag Olamine, an independently developed drug of the company. The indication for this Phase III trial is chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (NCT07286032). Data shows that Hetrombopag Olamine tablets are a Class 1 innovative drug developed by Hengrui Pharma and also China's independently developed non-peptide oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist. It promotes platelet production by activating the TPO-R-mediated STAT and MAPK signal transduction pathways.
 

Hetrombopag olamine was approved for marketing in China in 2021. It is indicated for adult patients with chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who have had an inadequate response to previous treatments such as corticosteroids and immunoglobulins, as well as for adult patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who have had an inadequate response to immunosuppressive therapy (IST). It is the first TPO-RA approved in China for both ITP and SAA indications. Currently, Hetrombopag Olamine Tablets are being further explored for expanded indications, including chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT), newly diagnosed severe aplastic anemia, pediatric primary immune thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing invasive procedures, and newly diagnosed non-severe aplastic anemia.
 

In addition to the aforementioned Phase III clinical trials, the eight new clinical trials initiated by Hengrui Pharma in April also included three Phase II trials, one Phase I/II trial, and three Phase I trials. Among these, SHR-3167 was involved in two trials: one Phase II trial for the indication of type 2 diabetes and one Phase I trial for the indication of diabetes. This product is an ultra-long-acting insulin analog (insulin-Fc fusion protein) developed independently by Hengrui Pharma, administered once weekly. The indications for the other two Phase II trials were neuromuscular blockade (NCT07446309) and unresectable locally recurrent breast cancer (NCT07497386), with the investigational drugs being HRS-9190 and Trastuzumab, respectively.
 

Among the seven new clinical trials initiated by Qilu Pharmaceutical in April, two were Phase III trials. The drugs involved were QLC5508, indicated for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (NCT07463573), and QL0911, indicated for immune thrombocytopenia (NCT07455006). QLC5508 is a fully humanized IgG1 antibody-drug conjugate that specifically binds to B7-H3, an emerging drug target widely expressed on solid tumor cells. Its potent topoisomerase inhibitor payload enables precise killing of tumor cells while reducing systemic toxicity. QL0911 is a romiplostim biosimilar developed by Qilu Pharmaceutical; it is a recombinant human thrombopoietin mimetic peptide-Fc fusion protein used to treat thrombocytopenia-related diseases.
 

Furthermore, Qilu Pharmaceutical has three Phase II clinical trials, one Phase I/II clinical trial, and one Phase I clinical trial. Among the three Phase II clinical trials, two involve QLS12010, with indications for moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa in adults (NCT07417917) and moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (NCT07344051), respectively. This product is a Class I novel chemical drug independently developed by Qilu Pharmaceutical, belonging to a new class of oral small-molecule inhibitors. The drug in the other Phase II clinical trial is QLS1410, indicated for hypertension; this drug is an orally administered, highly selective CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) inhibitor independently developed by Qilu Pharmaceutical.
 

In April, both CHIATAI TIANQING and Innovent Bio each had six clinical trials. Among CHIATAI TIANQING’s six trials, three were Phase II and three were Phase I. Innovent Bio’s six trials included two Phase III and four Phase I studies. The two Phase III trials conducted by Innovent Bio were for IBI306 (generic name: Taletrectamab), indicated for non-familial hypercholesterolemia (NCT07473960), and for IBI362 (generic name: Mazdutide), indicated for obesity (NCT07469800). IBI306 is a recombinant fully human anti-PCSK-9 monoclonal antibody independently developed by Innovent Bio. IBI362 is a glucagon receptor (GCGR)/glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) dual agonist (an oxyntomodulin analog) co-developed by Innovent Bio and Eli Lilly.
 

Clinical data from April 2026 visually confirm that Chinese innovative pharmaceutical companies have established R&D systems with distinct characteristics. As pivotal Phase III trials continue to advance, a batch of domestically produced Class 1 innovative drugs is poised to sequentially submit marketing applications, promising to provide cost-effective therapeutic solutions for patients in China and around the world.
 

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