China approves 38 globally new innovative drugs in first half of 2026

China approved the market launch of 38 innovative drugs classified as "Class 1" medication, which refers to innovative drugs that have not previously been marketed in China or abroad, in the first half of 2026, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) said on Monday.

"By the end of June this year, the NMPA had approved 2,318 drug registration applications, including 38 'globally new' innovative drugs," said Lan Gongtao, deputy director of the Department of Drug Registration Management of the NMPA.

According to the NMPA, the number of innovative drugs featuring new targets and new mechanisms approved in China in the first half of this year has already reached the total amount for the entire year of 2025, with the proportion of domestically developed innovative drugs with new targets and new mechanisms increasing significantly, showcasing better quality and efficiency in China's drug research and development.

"In 2025, only four of the 11 drugs featuring new targets and new mechanisms approved in China are domestically developed innovative drugs, accounting for less than half. However, all 11 such drugs approved in the first half of this year are domestically developed innovative drugs," said Lan.

"The 11 drugs featuring new targets and new mechanisms include China's first independently developed diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, the world's first antibody-drug conjugate for the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer, and the world's first CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell) therapy for solid tumors," said Yuan Lijia, deputy director of the business management division of the Center for Drug Evaluation under NMPA.

In another sign of growing global recognition, a Chinese-developed intravenous anesthetic independently received approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 1. It was approved for market launch in China in December 2020.

China approves 38 globally new innovative drugs in first half of 2026

The two-day 2026 Barcelona AI Summit opened Tuesday in Spain, with the emphasis on moving artificial intelligence (AI) from ambitious concepts to practical deployment.

Alongside keynote forums and speeches, this year’s event includes several exhibition halls where visitors can watch AI demos and try interactive experiences.

In one exhibition area, aspiring boxers can test their form with the help of AI-powered coaching. A system uses cameras to capture movement trajectories, analyzing punch speed, body rotation and defensive actions, and identifying weaknesses in training.

"We're looking for visibility and to showcase our technology in real conditions, so anybody from any level can test and see a score and how they train, how can they improve their technique," said Amelys Servais, the exhibitor.

Developers of a robot dog showcased their advancements in this area of robotics that has long touted promise for industrial uses. The artificial canine exhibits improved control through the use of cameras and sensors that can perceive the surrounding environment, analyze human movement, and even understand human language.

"We have a language model we built on top of the robot. We have text-to-speech, so we can speak to a microphone and it responds back to us. As well, we have an auto-explore feature which, through the use of lidar sensors, it can walk around automatically and map its region," said Kacper Poniatowski, engineer of the device.

The summit also showcased AI applications in scenarios including enterprise services and immersive experiences, showing the transformation of the technology toward emerging real-world products.

Barcelona AI Summit highlights real-world applications of AI