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
China's box office continues to enjoy a bumper summer, with a massive lineup of over 120 domestic and international titles drawing large crowds to cinemas during the lucrative three-month moviegoing season.
Data from Maoyan, one of China's major online movie ticket platforms, shows total summer box office earnings, including pre-sales, have surpassed 105 billion yuan (about 15 billion U.S. dollars) as of Wednesday morning since, the official summer box office period kicked off on June 1.
The figure marks a 500-million-yuan increase on the box office earnings reported on the same day last year.
Daily revenues have stayed above the 100-million-yuan mark for an unprecedented 40 consecutive days.
Currently leading the charge are a trio of heavyweight hits: Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's sports comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" with 2.3 billion yuan, Chinese animated film "All Wishes Come True!" with 1.6 billion, and Sony and Marvel's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" with 1.4 billion.
The three films alone have together contributed over half of the summer season's cumulative box office, reflecting a diverse appetite among Chinese audiences for sports comedy, mythological fantasy, and superhero spectacle.
Following closely behind is "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East," telling the story of a Chinese restaurant in the Middle East in the 2000s when war breaks out. The film has become one of the season's biggest surprises. In just nine days of release, the film has raked in over 1.1 billion yuan, catapulting it to the fourth spot on the 2026 summer box office charts.
Since hitting domestic screens on Aug 11, the Chinese production has drawn positive feedback for both its perspective on war and vivid portrayal of life in the Middle East.
On the imported film front, Hollywood director Christopher Nolan's latest epic, "The Odyssey," has earned more than 300 million yuan since arriving in Chinese theaters on Aug 14, marking a solid debut for the acclaimed filmmaker's ancient Greek adaptation.
Shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, the blockbuster has attracted numerous Chinese fans to enjoy its spectacular visual effects in theaters across China.
China's summer box office sizzling as anti-war drama fuels moviegoing rush
