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Chinese pharma turns to global deals to cure capital crunch

Sales of drug rights and M&A transactions help offset investment slump

In 2023, the number of China’s outbound deals involving rights for treatments exceeded the number of inbound deals for the first time.

After enduring the chill of a prolonged capital winter, China's drugmakers have begun to feel a thawing breeze.

Dealmaking has surged in 2024, with the nation's pharmaceutical industry attracting increased attention from international rivals for their innovative treatments. Last year, Chinese drugmakers set a record for new drug out-licensing deals -- in which a company allows another party to use its product, technology or intellectual property -- and saw the first-ever acquisition of a domestic biotech company by a multinational pharmaceutical giant.

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