STAT+: In Shanghai’s ‘Science City,’ China’s ascendant biotechs make their pitch to the world

The item is a STAT+ report from Shanghai's "Science City" district, where four biotech executives took the stage at the ballroom level of a five-star Hilton on a balmy, overcast Sunday. The executives appeared triumphant, using the platform to argue that drug development in China is faster, cheaper, and more efficient than anywhere else — certainly the United States, with one aside suggesting "God help Europe."

Zhui Chen, co-founder of Shanghai-based Abbisko — now described as a $6 billion biotech — recalled running a trial for a drug licensed to German pharma Merck KGaA. The trial finished in 11 months, a timeline so quick that Merck executives asked whether Abbisko could train their staff.

The anecdote was used to illustrate China's ascendant biotech sector and its growing confidence in pitching itself globally. The article is a STAT+ exclusive; the available excerpt ends after this story, with the rest behind a paywall.