By Clinical Research News Staff 

August 6, 2026 | Chinese biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly looking beyond their domestic market to develop and commercialize drugs, prompting a shift toward more globally oriented clinical development strategies. In the most recent episode of The Scope of Things podcast, Daphne Smyth, head of global regulatory programs at Veristat, joins the conversation to relay her three days at BioChina 2026 in Suzhou and what the North American and European markets can expect from Chinese drug development.  

The level of interest from Chinese drug developers in entering markets outside China exceeded expectations. More than 30,000 people attended the event, where Smyth said companies approached Veristat with specific questions about agency interactions, routes to marketing authorization, and GCP and GMP inspections. 

“The companies had very specific questions related to their development projects,” Smyth said. The interest reflects a broader evolution in China’s biopharmaceutical sector. Government investment has helped drive a growing pipeline of products, but increased competition within the Chinese market is encouraging companies to seek additional opportunities overseas. 

But taking drugs developed primarily in China into Western markets can present regulatory challenges. While Smyth said the U.S. regulatory environment is relatively familiar to Chinese companies, navigating European submission and approval processes can be more complicated. 

Clinical-trial populations are another consideration. European and North American regulators may require evidence that trial populations adequately reflect the populations in the target markets, or a strong justification for extrapolating data from other populations. 

This issue has been particularly relevant for the oncology programs Veristat has supported. Many of the Chinese companies the firm initially worked with had largely completed development in China and already had products on the market. In some cases, obtaining approval elsewhere has depended on generating additional data involving non-Chinese patients. 

To learn more about Veristat’s history with Chinese pharma companies and future plans, as well as the latest news on a shingles vaccine for lowering dementia risk, a Parkinson's disease drug for treating depression, and more, listen to The Scope of Things here.