Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies Research Articles

The cost-effectiveness of iruplinalkib versus alectinib in anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive crizotinib-resistant advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients in China.

Iruplinalkib is a second-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with efficacy in patients with ALK-positive crizotinib-resistant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is independently developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company. This study examined the cost-effectiveness of iruplinalkib versus alectinib in the Chinese healthcare setting. A partitioned survival model was developed to project the economic and health outcomes. Efficacy was derived using unanchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC). Cost and utility values were obtained from the literature and experts' opinions. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were carried out to evaluate the model's robustness. Treatment with iruplinalkib versus alectinib resulted in a gain of 0.843 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) with incremental costs of $20,493.27, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $24,313.95/QALY. Parameters related to relative efficacy and drug costs were the main drivers of the model outcomes. From the PSA, iruplinalkib had a 90% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $37,863.56/QALY. Compared to alectinib, iruplinalkib is a cost-effective therapy for patients with ALK-positive crizotinib-resistant advanced NSCLC.

In Shortage: Understanding Global Antibiotic Supply Chains Through Pharmaceutical Trade Fairs

Many countries have reported supply shortages of antibiotics in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked interesting discussions among government officials, public health practitioners, and scholars on how to maintain the security of the global pharmaceutical supply chain and how to decrease dependency on countries such as China. This article discusses the experiences and initial findings of tracing global pharmaceutical supply chains through pharmaceutical trade fairs and events at multiple locations. I argue that the reasons behind antibiotic supply shortages are multifold. Although the geographical concentration of the production of key raw materials and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in China is considered the main reason for the unstable and disrupted supply chain, it is also important to recognize that the same forces that have driven Western pharmaceutical companies to shift some of their less profitable manufacturing lines to China are also challenging Chinese pharmaceutical companies to adjust and reorient their strategies. As such, antibiotics are facing a conundrum in which the governance of excessive use is complicated by a shortage problem that hampers access to essential drugs.

Does China's centralized volume-based drug procurement policy facilitate the transition from imitation to innovation for listed pharmaceutical companies? Empirical tests based on double difference model.

Introduction: The normalized implementation of the centralized volume-based procurement policy for pharmaceuticals is a concerted push for supply-side structural reform of the pharmaceutical industry in China. The impact of the centralized drug procurement policy on pharmaceutical companies' transition from imitation to innovation is investigated to test whether a positive effect occurs in the innovation landscape of the pharmaceutical market. Methods: The double difference method and a series of robustness tests were used based on data from a sample of listed pharmaceutical companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares between 2015 and 2021. Results: The study found that the centralized drug procurement policy significantly contributed to the increased intensity of innovation input in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. In terms of regional and firm nature heterogeneity, it was found that firms in the seven provinces belonging to the three economic regions had a better increase in innovation input intensity than other regions. Firms of state-owned nature had a better increase in innovation input intensity than private companies. The mechanism test found a partial mediating effect of nearly 10% for the cost of sales rate on the innovation input intensity of listed companies and a negative mediating effect on corporate operating profit. Discussion: Further research found that the effect of centralized drug procurement policy on the improvement of innovation quality of listed pharmaceutical companies was evident. The innovation development of Chinese pharmaceutical companies no longer focused on the accumulation of innovation quantity.

Comparation of differences in the performance of corporate social responsibility between Chinese and American pharmaceutical enterprises-based on corporate social responsibility report.

Objective: We compared Chinese and American pharmaceutical companies' corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports to determine their differences and to analyze the possible reasons for them. Methods: We took as a model the top 500 pharmaceutical companies from Torreya's (a global investment bank) list of the 1,000 most valuable pharmaceutical companies in the world. We then collected the 2020 corporate social responsibility reports of 97 Chinese and 94 American pharmaceutical companies. These reports were analyzed using software such as ROST Content Mining 6.0 and Gephi 0.92. Results: We formed a high-frequency word list, a semantic network diagram, and a high-frequency word centrality scale for the Chinese and American pharmaceutical corporate social responsibility reports. The Chinese pharmaceutical companies' corporate social responsibility reports formed a layout of "double centers and double themes," and the text paid more attention to the disclosure of environmental protection information. The American pharmaceutical companies formed a report presentation form of "three centers and two themes," focusing on corporate social responsibility information disclosures from the perspective of humanistic care. Discussion: The differences in between Chinese and American pharmaceutical companies' corporate social responsibility reports may be due to different corporate development strategies, regulatory requirements, social demands, and the concept of "corporate citizenship." This study makes recommendations for Chinese pharmaceutical companies to better fulfill their CSR at three levels: policy-making, company management, and society.

Corporate financialization, financing constraints, and innovation efficiency-Empirical evidence based on listed Chinese pharmaceutical companies.

The relationship between financialization and innovation has become a common focus of academic attention. This paper analyzes the influence of corporate financialization on innovation efficiency based on balanced panel data of listed Chinese pharmaceutical companies from 2015 to 2020. Also, it examines the relationship between corporate financialization and innovation efficiency under different levels of financing constraints and the moderating mechanisms that exist. The results of the study show that corporate financialization negatively affects innovation efficiency and that this effect has a lag; corporate financialization hurts innovation efficiency across the different regions and firm nature, with a less inhibiting effect for eastern firms and non-state-owned firms; further tests of the mechanism of action show that there is a non-linear negative relationship between corporate financialization and innovation efficiency. And the inhibition of corporate financialization on innovation efficiency decreases as the level of financing constraints rises. Based on the above findings, this study provides warnings and recommendations for pharmaceutical companies to finance their innovative activities through financialization.

Pharmaceutical industry in Long-term Uncertain Market: An Empirical Research Based on Time Series Model

The outbreak of covid-19 pandemic has brought a huge tide to the financial market across the globe, due to the fluctuation in the performance of a variety of sectors, it kept vacillating in the investors’ opinions, resulting in a drastic fall in the stock market, but pharmaceutical companies were excluded from the main trend. This paper is going to discuss whether the fluctuation in the medical market will be affected by the covid-19 pandemic and then assume the long-term performance of Chinese pharmaceutical companies under the influence of the pandemic. The main analytical methods that have been applicated are the series model, the order of VAR Model, the ARMA-GARCH Model and impulse and response analysis. Finally, we will draw our conclusion that under that if another sudden outbreak can be prevented, the long-term performance of the medical industries will have minor damage from the pandemic. The study provides investors and leaders in the industry with a front-sight of future market performance. We suggest that the medical industry needs to learn from experience to maintain the rise in performance, and the investors can also put faith in them, believing that the overall performance of the pharmaceutical market will not let them down.

Government innovation subsidy, executives' academic capital and innovation quality: Evidence from pharmaceutical companies in China.

The government employs innovation subsidies as a key incentive strategy to promote companies to innovate more technically. This study analyses how innovation subsidies influences the quality of corporate innovation. We create an innovation quality index for pharmaceutical corporations using categorizing data from patent applications submitted by pharmaceutical companies. Using data from 180 listed Chinese pharmaceutical companies between 2010 and 2020, this study proposes a panel regression model to assess the influence of government innovation subsidies on innovation quality, as well as the moderating effect of CEOs' academic capital. How well innovations are subsidized is also affected by the heterogeneity of property rights. Innovation subsidy has a greater and more positive impact on non-SOEs. This article demonstrates that CEOs with academic credentials and executives with ties to the pharmaceutical industry have a variety of moderate effects. The research offers novel suggestions for enhancing business creativity and the innovation subsidy programme.

The enterprise's external knowledge acquisition capability and technological diversification: From the perspective of intellectual property strategy.

Enterprises need intellectual property rights to protect their core knowledge, and technological diversification is an important strategic measure for enterprises to improve innovation performance. From the perspective of external resource acquisition, this study explores the mechanism of external knowledge acquisition capability (internal absorptive capability and external relational learning) on firm's technological diversification. It considers the impact of firm's innovation capability and external environmental uncertainty. The survey data of 258 Chinese pharmaceutical companies were obtained through questionnaire surveys, and various theoretical hypotheses were validated using regression analysis methods. The results show that internal absorptive capacity, external relational learning, and their interaction have a significant positive impact on technological diversification; the innovation capacity and the uncertainty of the external environment also affect enterprises' technological diversification.

A Corpus-based Study of Corporate Image in the Translation of Corporate Social Responsibility Reports of Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies: A Case Study of Fosun Pharma Group

Abstract The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 turned out to be an opportunity for Chinese pharmaceutical companies to go overseas. A sound corporate image, as presented by a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, is a must. Therefore, companies must pay attention to the quality of translations of CSR reports. This study analyses the 2017–2020 CSR reports of Fosun Pharma Group, a top Chinese pharmaceutical company, from the text perspective and that of social practice, based on a self-built corpus. The 2017–2020 CSR reports of Johnson & Johnson are used as parallel texts. The text analysis examines the high-frequency nouns and verbs, first-person pronouns and modal verbs, and finds that Fosun Pharma enjoys the image of a company that focuses on progress, is positive, pragmatic, attaches importance to corporate management, and is rigorous and objective. Viewed from the perspective of social practices, the difference in corporate image between the two companies is influenced by power distance, as they are at different stages of development, and given the limitations associated with the use of English as a second language. The research results have implications for the development of English translations of CSR reports of pharmaceutical companies in China and the dissemination of an overseas corporate image.

Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine: a modern vaccination approach.

Dear Editor, The emergence of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which was originally reported to WHO in December 2019 resulted in the coronavirus illness and it was subsequently declared a global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020. Recurring disease outbreaks repeatedly overloaded the public health sector, infecting over 613 million people and killing more than 6.5 million as of September 20221. As new strains emerge and natural immunity wanes, the population, particularly immunocompromised individuals, stand an increased risk of severe sickness and death due to this disease. Various research advances paved the way for developing multiple COVID-19 vaccines which have been approved to treat and prevent COVID-19. Currently, available COVID-19 vaccines including mRNA vaccines, recombinant adenovirus vaccines, and recombinant protein vaccines that have received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and have been subsequently used to immunize millions of people are all administered through intramuscular injection2. Intramuscular vaccines have been designed to induce antibody-mediated and cell-mediated immune responses and minimal to no detectable mucosal immunity at the site of infection. Since the nose and upper respiratory tract are the primary routes for inhalation pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and are more susceptible to infection,3 the vaccine response generated after intramuscular immunization can leave the upper respiratory tract vulnerable to viral replication and dissemination because these vaccines are inefficient in stimulating immunoglobulin A secretion in mucosal cells2. Alternatively, it has been found recently that the intranasal (IN) vaccines for COVID-19 have shown a promising ability to induce sterilizing mucosal immunity against mucosal pathogens apart from inducing an antibody-mediated immune response and a robust cell-mediated immunity2. A single dose of effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine via IN route boosts mucosal immunoglobulin A and T-cell responses in both upper and lower respiratory tract, providing almost complete prevention against viral infection, multiplication, and reducing virus shedding via nasal mucosa that acts as a first-line barrier to the virus entrance before spreading into the lungs2. This immediate protection at the site of infection by restricting the viral replication and clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection reflects the potency of IN COVID-19 vaccines in the alleviation of seeding new cases of COVID-19 amidst the pandemic; hence, preventing even mild cases of illness and inhibiting the virus transmission to other people. In addition, these vaccines are minimally invasive, have a needle-free mode of administration, and are usually in the form of a nasal spray2. Owing to the easy transportation and storage, these vaccines are also more convenient to use2. However, an essential consideration for IN COVID-19 vaccine is its safety. An extremely rare risk of reversion of live attenuated virus into replicating state, regaining its ability to cause disease in the individual has been observed4. With that, the effectiveness of the vaccine is determined by the immunization type chosen and the addition of essential adjuvants. Phase I, II, and III clinical trials were performed to assess the efficacy of IN COVID-19 immunization by two companies; CanSino Biologics, a Chinese pharmaceutical company, and Bharat Biotech International, a biotechnology company headquartered in India, which received approval in their respective countries for its use after gaining successful results5. These companies have created ‘viral vector’ vaccines that use a harmless adenovirus to deliver the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. Given the severity of the situation where the healthcare systems are challenged globally due to increased COVID-19-related hospitalizations, it is critical to continue developing effective and reliable COVID-19 vaccines in present times. In the context of respiratory pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, IN vaccines’ pros conceivably outweigh their cons, along with offering both localized protection at the site of infection and activating systemic responses as compared with intramuscular vaccines eliciting only systemic responses. Large-scale clinical studies and trials should be conducted to gather further evidence to prove its effectiveness so that the availability of IN COVID-19 vaccines may be made feasible. This vaccine might also serve as an alternative to limited and inadequate vaccine supplies as well as a booster to intramuscular vaccines. Immunization with IN COVID-19 vaccines will hopefully help deal with the persistent COVID-19 pandemic and potential viral contagious diseases that might arise in the future. Ethics approval Not applicable. Sources of funding None. Authors’ contribution All authors contributed equally. Conflicts of interest disclosure The authors declare that they have no financial conflict of interest with regard to the content of this report. Research registration Unique Identifying number (UIN) None. Guarantor Govinda Khatri.

Medical reform, Covid-19 vaccine and stock returns: the case of Chinese listed pharmaceutical and healthcare companies

ABSTRACT This article analyses the stock returns of Chinese pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in response to the announcements of medical reform and Covid-19 vaccines, which are underexplored in the literature. Medical reform in China removes all drug markups of public hospitals; we find that the announcement of medical reform might not negatively impact the overall stock returns but only negatively impact young firms and small firms. Meanwhile, Covid-19 vaccines are deemed to be important weapons against the virus; we find that the announcements of Covid-19 vaccine approvals positively impacted the overall stock returns but did not benefit young firms and small firms. Our results imply that investors of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries generally favour old firms and large firms when important medical news emerges.

Transformations of Medical and Vaccine Diplomacies in the COVID-19 Era

The pandemic has produced the global COVID-19 vaccine market with various stakeholders acting in their economic self-interest. At the same time, some governments use vaccines for pursuing national interests and expanding their international influence. Using scientific works on the topic and documents from WHO, GAVI, WTO, IMF, government documents and think tank reports, the author analyzes vaccine diplomacy as a branch of medical diplomacy and identifies changes that occur under pandemic impact. The article examines the current policy of China, as it has achieved the most notable success in medical services export, primarily to developing countries, and Chinese pharmaceutical companies play a prominent role in the global vaccine market. It raises serious concerns of the West, which accuses Beijing of using coronacrisis to establish a new (China-centric) world order. It is concluded that government capacity to protect public health and control epidemic spread is among the significant criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of State policy, and its own vaccine industry begins to be regarded as an important element of national security. There is also a considerable increase in the role of healthcare in foreign policy of a number of States using medical and vaccine diplomacies as a means of achieving political goals. COVID-19 vaccines are becoming a strategic asset that affects the country’s position on the world stage and generates a new field of geopolitical rivalry. But at the same time, vaccine diplomacy could serve as a dialogue platform in cases when interstate relations are in a deep crisis. And it may lead to awareness of the need to train specialists in the field of medical diplomacy.

The Regulatory Effect of Firm Size on Digital Transformation: An Empirical Study of Pharmaceutical Companies in China.

Digital transformation (DT) has been a key way for pharmaceutical companies to enhance innovation and R&D capabilities, improve product quality, reduce costs, and create competitive advantages. The external environment factors and the internal conditions' factors are the main factors affecting the DT of pharmaceutical companies. This research aimed to probe the effects of the external environment factors, the internal conditions' factors, firm size, and control variables on the DT of pharmaceutical companies based on synergetics. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were used in this research. In addition, this research collected 395 valid data from Chinese pharmaceutical companies through online questionnaires. This research used quantitative analysis, and SPSS and Amos software were applied to data processing analysis. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) and regression analysis showed that the external environment factors and the internal conditions' factors had a significantly positive correlation with the DT of pharmaceutical companies, and the effects of the internal conditions on the DT of pharmaceutical companies were greater than that of the external environment. In addition, firm size positively moderated the relationship between the external environment, internal conditions, and the DT of pharmaceutical companies. The results of this research not only can provide theoretical reference for scholars but also put forward implementation suggestions of DT for Chinese pharmaceutical company managers.

Current status and trend of clinical development of orphan drugs in China

BackgroundRare diseases have been increasingly recognized as unmet medical and health needs worldwide; a growing demand for the development of orphan drugs emerges subsequently. Therefore, it is of great interest for both the Chinese regulatory agency and pharmaceutical companies to keep tract on the clinical development of orphan drugs in China.Objective and methodThis study aims to reveal the current situation and trend of the clinical development of orphan drugs in China, based on the data collected from the Chinese official platform, dating from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2021.ResultsA total of 331 clinical trials for orphan drugs were extracted from the platform, covering 31 rare diseases and 124 drugs. Increases were seen in the annual number of clinical trials and drugs being tested, with a sharp increase after 2018. About the disease types of the 331 trials, Parkinson disease (young-onset, early-onset) (86, 26%), hemophilia (70, 21%), homozygote hypercholesterolemia (60, 18%) were the most common. Furthermore, it was also observed that the largest number of clinical trial units for rare disease in east China (90, 41%) and the smallest number located in northwest China (18, 6%) and northeast China (18, 6%).ConclusionsThe growth trends illustrate the progress in clinical trial and drug development of rare diseases from 2013 to 2021. However, promoting orphan drugs development still is an important issue in China; at the same time, further efforts should be made for meet the unmet needs of disease types and balance the uneven distribution of medical resources for clinical trial on rare diseases.

How Technological Innovation Affect China's Pharmaceutical Smart Manufacturing Industrial Upgrading.

In recent years, a new generation of information technology has provided sufficient technical support for the smart manufacturing industry. In order to promote the upgrading of China's pharmaceutical smart manufacturing industry, the direction of industrial upgrading and transformation will be discussed from the perspective of technological innovation. According to the input and output data of technological innovation in China's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry from 2007 to 2019, the DEA method is used to analyze the allocation of innovative resources in China's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in recent years. The study found that the efficiency of technological innovation in China's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry fluctuated greatly from 2007 to 2019, with a low overall level and varying degrees of wasted resources. On this basis, an in-depth analysis of the system architecture of the pharmaceutical smart manufacturing industry under the Industry 4.0 environment was performed. Finally, four paths for the digital transformation of China's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry are proposed. Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing companies need to use new technologies to carry out comprehensive intelligent upgrading and digital transformation to improve innovation efficiency.

Research on the Operating Efficiency of Chinese Listed Pharmaceutical Companies Based on Two-Stage Network DEA and Malmquist

The development of pharmaceutical companies, which is an important part of the national economy and industry, is closely related to people’s livelihood issues. With the era of big data, this paper uses the two-stage DEA and Malmquist method to evaluate the efficiency of listed Chinese pharmaceutical companies. From a static and dynamic perspective, it analyses the total factor productivity index, pure efficiency change index, scale efficiency index, and so on. The results show that government subsidies have not had a positive impact on most Chinese pharmaceutical companies, and for films, diseconomies of scale caused by rapid expansion should be avoided.

Different dosages of valaciclovir for the treatment of herpes zoster in adults: A randomized clinical study.

The dosages of valaciclovir used for herpes zoster treatment recommended by Chinese pharmaceutical companies can differ considerably from those reported in the literature. This randomized clinical study compares the efficacy and safety of different oral valaciclovir doses for the treatment of herpes zoster in adults. A total of 214 patients with herpes zoster were enrolled and randomized into two groups according to age: 98 patients in the 18-44-year group (younger patients) and 116 patients in the 45-74-year group (middle-aged and elderly patients). Patients in the two age groups were then prescribed different doses of valaciclovir. The high-dose group was administered 900mg of valaciclovir, three times daily for 10days, whereas the low-dose group was administered 300mg of valaciclovir, two times daily for 10days. The efficacy and side effects of these regimens were recorded on days 6, 11 and 30. In total, 207 (of 214 enrolled) patients completed the study. Of the seven patients who discontinued the study, five discontinued because their follow-up time was not fixed and two withdrew after moving to other cities. At the 11th day after treatment, the clinical effect of high-dose valaciclovir groups were significantly better than that of the low-dose valaciclovir groups in middle-aged and elderly patients (p<0.05). The difference in visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores between the two dose groups was statistically significant in middle-aged and elderly patients at the 6th day(p<0.05), whereas there was no difference in younger patients (p>0.05). The VAS scores were significantly lower in high-dose group than in low-dose group at day 11 in both groups of patients(p<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the time to skin scab improvement between the two different dose groups in younger patients (p>0.05). Among middle-aged and elderly patients, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was significantly lower in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group (p<0.05). The difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the high-dose and low-dose groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Overall, the main side effect was headache. The present study indicates that early treatment with high-dose valaciclovir can significantly reduce pain in patients, especially in elderly patients, in whom it can also reduce the incidence of PHN. In terms of safety, no significant difference was noted in the incidence of adverse reactions between high- and low-dose groups.

The gap analysis between Chinese pharmaceutical academia and industry from 2000 to 2018

The publication number in pharmaceutics from Chinese academia globally ranked second in 2014. However, the R&D capability of Chinese pharmaceutical industry significantly lags behind its globally 2nd market with 373 billion USD. The study aims to analyze the gaps between Chinese academia and industry in pharmaceutics. Publication, national funding programs and postgraduate training were analyzed to identify the academic output. R&D expenses input, research scientists and marketed products were investigated to evaluate the industrial demand. The Chinese publication number in pharmaceutics grows sharply, ranking first globally in 2017. The hot fields from Chinese scholars focused on nanomedicine and gene delivery, while the majority of products in Chinese pharmaceutical companies were still conventional dosage forms (e.g. tablet, capsule and injection). On the other hand, the number of Ph.D. graduates in pharmaceutics maintained a quite low-level output from 2000 to 2018, which seriously unmet the growing demand of high-level formulation scientists from Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, the development of Chinese drug administration system from 1978 to 2018 was detailed summarized, analyzed and discussed because the government policies strongly influence the academia and pharmaceutical industry. Two suggestions are provided to bridge the gaps between Chinese academia and pharmaceutical industry. On the one hand, Chinese universities should shift the academic evaluation system from publication-orientation to more diverse science and demand-driven researches. On the other hand, more industry-oriented Ph.D. graduates should be trained to meet the increasing demand from the pharmaceutical industry. As the second largest market in the world, Chinese pharmaceutical industry will face the enormous progress in next 5–10 years.

JCSE01.02 The Opportunity of Drugs Development on Immunotherapy in China

Immunotherapy gets the breakthrough after almost 100 years of silence. PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors as the representative have been extensively studied in various human malignant tumors and get promising long term response with relatively fewer adverse events. The first PD1 inhibitor indication was approved for melanoma in Japan on July 2014. Up to now, the US Food and Drug Administration had approved several PD-1 pathway blockade treatments including nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab using in first line and second line of NSCLC. In China, nivolumab was approved for second line setting for advanced NSCLC and pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy were approved for first line setting of advanced NSCLC. Two novel PD-1 inhibitors from Chinese pharmaceutical companies were approved for melanoma and lymphoma by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China. And, a lot of clinical trials about domestic novel PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors from Chinese pharmaceutical companies are now ongoing. IO arena faces intense in-class competition from both MNC (Multi-National Corporation) and domestic pharmaceutical company in China. Now there are more than 20 IO antibodies from 10 MNCs and 16 pharmaceutical companies in China. Besides PD1/PD-L1 and CTLA4, other hot IO drugs such as IDO or Lag3 et al are also under investigation. Clinical trials about some novel combination, for example, CMET inhibitor plus IO, anti-angiogenesis drugs plus IO, et al, are also ongoing. There are special questions which need to be settled in China. Chinese population has relatively high rates of hepatitis B virus infection and much higher proportion of EGFR mutation. The delightful changing recently is some studies emerging to consider the characteristics of the Chinese or Asian populations. Some clinical trials are trying to answer these questions. Besides clinical trials for advanced NSCLC, Clinical trials focus on local advanced NSCLC, early stage NSCLC and SCLC are also ongoing. New adjuvant and adjuvant IO trials have started in China. Most importantly, some novel combinations overcoming previous IO resistance are now on the way, which will give more interesting results in the near future. Research about Chinese IO treatment remains in their early stage and further efforts are needed to improve the design of future clinical trials and translational research. Meanwhile, the other hot IO drugs and phase I studies need to speed up in China. Immunotherapy, China, Drugs Development

Retrospect of the Marketing Strategies and Services in a Chinese Pharmaceutical Company

The study was conducted to determine the effective marketing strategies in terms of promotion, product, pricing and place, and services in terms of availability, reliability, responsiveness, completeness and professionalism rendered of a Pharmaceutical Company in China as perceived by the two groups of respondents, employees and customers/clients. The four marketing strategies obtained a very effective descriptive rating by the employee and client-respondents. Among the four marketing strategies, Pricing gained an effective rating from employee-respondents and Place has a significant difference in the perceptions of the two groups of respondents. In terms of services rendered a very effective descriptive ratings were given by the employee-respondents; whereas, client-respondents only obtained an effective descriptive rating. Among the five services rendered, only professionalism was perceived as very effective and was tagged as no significant difference by the two groups of respondents. High relationship between the marketing strategies and services rendered by the Pharmaceutical Company to its clients in the obtained r value of 0.74 which means that the marketing strategies of employees directly affect the clients’ services. At 0.05 Alpha, it was concluded that if the marketing strategies of the employees improved, so as their services to the clients. It is recommended that a successful pharmaceutical company must build customer knowledge competence through improvement of the current processes that include customer data acquisition and data interpretation.