Fact of the Week: China Approved 94 Novel Oncology Drugs From 2020 to 2025, Surpassing the United States’ 87

Source: Grace Collins et al., “A cross-national review of novel oncology approvals in the United States and China (2020-2025),” Health Affairs Scholar 4, no. 7 (2026).

Commentary: From 2020 to 2025, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved 94 novel oncology drugs, surpassing the 87 approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While the FDA approved more novel oncology drugs from 2020 to 2022, China's NMPA overtook the FDA from 2023 to 2025. However, the FDA continued to lead in approvals of global first-in-class oncology drugs, underscoring the United States' continued strength in pharmaceutical innovation. However, in recent years, China’s number of first-in-class drug candidates have rapidly increased, narrowing the United States’ advantage.

China's rising oncology drug approvals reflect its growing domestic biomedical research and innovation capabilities, supported by regulatory reforms, expanded research capacity, and faster clinical trial enrollment. As China's pipeline of first-in-class drug candidates continues to expand, the United States may face increasing competition in bringing innovative cancer treatments to market, potentially challenging its longstanding leadership in pharmaceutical innovation.