China’s rapid-fire approach to early-stage clinical trials is redefining global drug development standards. In a recent conversation, Andy Liu, Head of China, Novotech shared his perspectives with C. Simone Fishburn, Editor in Chief at BioCentury, highlighting the key drivers behind this momentum — including a unified state healthcare system, high patient density near major hospitals, and strong site-level support.
Liu points to “China speed” as more than a catchphrase — it’s a structural and cultural shift. Digital recruitment tools, lower-cost site management, and incentives tied to physician career progression are accelerating timelines. Since regulatory reforms in 2015, China has become a preferred destination for early-phase oncology and immunology trials.
While the U.S. retains an edge in initial IND approvals, China now matches — or outpaces — the West in study start-up and patient recruitment. Western biotechs are taking notice, increasingly licensing Phase I/II assets from China or launching trials there directly.
As Liu notes, “The quality management process has improved, and support structures take the burden off investigators.” China’s evolving infrastructure and risk-tolerant regulatory environment are raising the bar for global biotech innovation.