首席商业评论·2025-08-10 03:26Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the increasing trend of multinational pharmaceutical companies acquiring innovative drug assets from Chinese companies, highlighting the financial implications and strategic motivations behind these transactions [4][6][14]. Group 1: Acquisition Trends - On July 28, Heng Rui Medicine announced a licensing agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the global exclusive rights to the HRS-9821 project, excluding certain regions, with an upfront payment of $500 million and potential milestone payments totaling up to $12 billion [4]. - The first half of the year saw multinational pharmaceutical companies invest 464.3 billion yuan in Chinese innovative drugs, indicating a surge in acquisition activity [6][13]. - Notable transactions include Pfizer's acquisition of a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody from 3SBio for a total of $4.8 billion, marking a significant trend in the "buy-buy-buy" strategy among global pharma [8][9]. Group 2: Business Development (BD) Strategy - The article explains that the BD strategy in the pharmaceutical industry involves acquiring or licensing innovative drugs to enhance product pipelines and market reach, as developing new drugs internally is often costly and risky [14][17]. - The average cost and time to develop a new drug can reach $2-3 billion and take 10-15 years, with a success rate of less than 10% in clinical trials [14][17]. - The increasing number of BD transactions reflects a shift towards external sourcing for drug development, with the number of global pharmaceutical transactions rising from 358 in 2015 to 743 in 2024 [19]. Group 3: Chinese Innovation Drug Market - Multinational companies are increasingly recognizing the value of Chinese innovative drugs, which are often of high quality and lower cost compared to similar products in developed markets [22][25]. - As of August 2024, China has 910 new drugs approved, with 40 new Class 1 drugs launched in 2024 alone, and over 5,380 drugs in the pipeline, representing more than one-third of the global total [25][28]. - The cost of developing innovative drugs in China is significantly lower, estimated at 20-30% of the costs in the U.S., making Chinese assets attractive for acquisition [25][28]. Group 4: Strategic Licensing - Chinese pharmaceutical companies often choose to license their drugs to multinational firms rather than outright selling them, allowing for upfront payments, milestone payments, and ongoing royalties [28]. - This strategy enables Chinese firms to quickly recoup investments and fund further research while retaining domestic rights to their products [28]. - The article emphasizes the potential for Chinese companies to not only "borrow" resources but also to eventually "build" their own capabilities in the global market [28].