中国医药：出海仍是主旋律

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Buy" for companies such as 三生制药 (1530 HK), 固生堂 (2273 HK), 药明合联 (2268 HK), and 中国生物制药 (1177 HK) [3][4][32]. Core Insights - The MSCI China Healthcare Index has increased by 11.8% since the beginning of 2026, outperforming the MSCI China Index which rose by 9.1%. The pharmaceutical sector has seen significant growth due to strong institutional investor interest at the start of the year following a valuation correction in Q4 of the previous year [2]. - The trend of innovative drugs going overseas is expected to continue in the long term, with a focus on the clinical progress and data validation of pipelines that have already gone abroad [2]. - The domestic innovative drug market is still relatively small, with an estimated market size of 300-400 billion RMB, of which domestic innovative drugs account for about 1/3, or 100-130 billion RMB. If the proportion of patented drugs in China reaches 66% like the global average, the market size could potentially reach around 760 billion RMB [6]. Summary by Sections Company Recommendations - Recommended companies for investment include 三生制药 (1530 HK), 固生堂 (2273 HK), 药明合联 (2268 HK), and 中国生物制药 (1177 HK) [3][4]. Market Trends - The market for domestic innovative drugs is characterized by high demand due to aging populations, weak pricing from insurance negotiations, strong competition, and short product life cycles. The global pharmaceutical market is projected to reach 1.74 trillion USD in 2024, with China's market size at 166 billion USD, representing only 9.5% of the global market [6]. - The potential market size for domestic innovative drugs going abroad could reach 110 billion USD, nearly 800 billion RMB, if one-third of the global patented drug market is sourced from China [6]. Clinical Development and Financials - In 2025, the total transaction amount for BD (business development) licensing for Chinese innovative drugs is expected to reach 135.65 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 161%, with 70 million USD in upfront payments [6]. - Basic medical insurance expenditure showed a slight recovery in 2025, with cumulative spending growth of 0.5% and income growth of 2.9%, indicating a shift in the growth catalyst from insurance to out-of-pocket and commercial insurance [6].