China approved the market entry of 76 innovative drugs in 2025 as part of efforts to improve patient access to new, high-quality treatments, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) said on Saturday.
The figure set a new high, increasing nearly 60 percent compared with that of 2024.
The 76 drugs include 47 chemical drugs, 23 biological products, and 6 traditional Chinese medicines.
Among the 47 chemical drugs, 38 are homegrown innovations, while nine are imported. Of the 23 biological products, 91.3 percent, or 21, are local innovations while two are imports.
An official from the NMPA noted that First-In-Class drugs, which feature entirely new therapeutic mechanisms, are the most challenging to develop. In 2025, China approved 11 First-In-Class drugs, four of which were developed domestically.
"The market entry of these innovative drugs in China enables patients to access the latest advancements in global biomedical research sooner. This development marks a significant leap for our biopharmaceutical sector, transitioning from a position of lagging to one of keeping pace, and in some areas, taking the lead. It underscores China's emergence as a crucial player in the global biopharmaceutical innovation landscape," said Lan Gongtao, Deputy Director-General of NMPA Department of Drug Registration.
The NMPA also revealed that the total value of China's outbound innovative drug licensing transactions exceeded 130 billion USD in 2025 with more than 150 licensing deals, far surpassing the 51.9 billion USD of 94 deals in 2024, setting a new record. China's pipeline of new drugs under development accounts for approximately 30 percent of the global total, ranking second in the world.
"In 2025, the total value of China's innovative drug licensing transactions abroad has roughly doubled compared to the previous year, and the number of innovative drug approvals also reached a record high. This reflects the significant outcomes of our ongoing reforms in the drug review and approval system and the implementation of various policies to encourage innovation. While celebrating the growth in the number of innovative drugs, we remain steadfast in maintaining high standards that align with international norms. The substantial growth in licensing also reflects the international community's recognition of the value of China's innovative pharmaceuticals," Lan said.
The Administration stated that it will introduce more measures to accelerate the rapid development of innovative drugs in China.
China sets record with 76 innovative drugs approved in 2025
The United States' strikes on Venezuela and its abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday have drawn worldwide condemnations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has struck Venezuela and captured Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply alarmed by the U.S. military actions, his spokesperson said in a statement.
"The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect -- by all -- of international law, including the UN Charter. He's deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected," said the statement issued by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
China called on the United States to release Maduro and his wife at once, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Sunday.
China expresses grave concern over the U.S. forcible abduction of the Venezuelan President and his wife and taking them out of the country, said the spokesperson, adding that the U.S. move is in clear violation of international law, basic norms in international relations, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
China calls on the United States to ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela, and resolve issues through dialog and negotiation, said the spokesperson.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called for immediate clarification of the situation around Maduro and his wife after the U.S. aggression against Venezuela.
Russia is "extremely alarmed" by reports of Maduro and his wife's forcible removal from Venezuela during the U.S. action, the ministry said in a statement.
"We call for immediate clarification of this situation. Such actions, if they actually occurred, constitute an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of an independent state, respect for which is a key principle of international law," the ministry added.
The ministry also said that the United States committed "an act of armed aggression" against Venezuela, which causes deep concern and condemnation.
The ministry noted that Latin America must remain a zone of peace, and Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive and military interference from outside.
Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday in Havana, the capital of Cuba, to denounce the U.S. military actions against Venezuela and voice support for their Latin American brother in defending its sovereignty.
At the event, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that Latin America is not the backyard of the United States and that it neither accepts nor recognizes the Monroe Doctrine.
Condemning the U.S. strikes on Venezuela and its kidnapping of Maduro, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that such actions blatantly violated international law, and gravely infringed upon the sovereignty of Venezuela, leading to power politics rather than multilateralism and resulting in violence, chaos and turmoil.
He urged the international community to react in a strong manner through the United Nations.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the unilateral military action, urging de-escalation to protect civilians.
The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday condemned the U.S. actions against Venezuela for violating the country's sovereignty, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
"The DPRK Foreign Ministry strongly denounces the U.S. hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela as the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty and as a wanton violation of the UN Charter and international laws," a ministry spokesperson was quoted by the KCNA as saying.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday said on social media that the U.S. capture of Maduro and his wife constitutes a clear violation of international law and amounts to an unlawful use of force against a sovereign state.
He said that the Maduro couple must be released immediately, adding that U.S. actions erode fundamental restraints on the use of power between states and weakens the legal framework that underpins international order.
Within the EU, nations including Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal said they are closely monitoring the situation and called for restraint and solutions based on international law.
The European Parliament criticized the U.S. action as illegal and destabilizing.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on Saturday said on social media that the EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela.
"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected," she said.
US strikes on Venezuela draw international condemnation
