How Summit Therapeutics Proved Chinese Clinical Data is World-Class

For decades, the path for a new drug was clear: discovery in a Western lab, followed by lengthy, eye-wateringly expensive clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe. Data generated elsewhere, particularly from China, was often viewed with skepticism, considered supplementary at best.

Then came Summit Therapeutics.

In 2023, the company’s stock skyrocketed after announcing overwhelmingly positive Phase III trial results for ivonescimab, a novel bispecific antibody for non-small cell lung cancer. The pivotal trial wasn't run in Boston or Basel; it was conducted entirely in China. The data was so compelling that it’s now on a fast track for global approvals, challenging long-held assumptions and proving that Chinese clinical data is not just acceptable—it's world-class.

This isn't an accident. It’s the culmination of a deliberate, multi-decade strategy that has transformed China into a global biotech leader. The Wall Street Journal aptly calls this the industry’s “DeepSeek moment”—a period of disruptive, cost-efficient innovation that is reshaping global norms.

Let's break down how this happened and explore the forces, including revolutionary AI platforms like Deep Intelligent Pharma (DIP), that are cementing China's new role.

The Data Tsunami: China's Unstoppable Biotech Rise

The scale of China's ascent is staggering. It's not a gradual climb but an exponential explosion, backed by hard data that paints a clear picture of global leadership.

• 1. A Market More Than Tripling in Value: China’s biotechnology market hit USD 74.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to soar to USD 262.9 billion by 2030. This ~19.8% compound annual growth rate signals a market on a historic trajectory. (Grand View Research)
• 2. An Explosion in Homegrown Innovation: The number of innovative drugs developed in China has more than tripled in less than a decade, rising from under 350 in 2015 to approximately 1,250 in 2024. This isn't just about volume; it reflects a surge in high-value, first-in-class research. (Allianz Global Investors)
• 3. Dominance in Clinical Trial Volume: China has decisively overtaken the U.S. as the world's clinical trial hub. In 2024, China listed over 7,100 clinical trials compared to about 6,000 in the U.S. This scale allows for unprecedented speed in drug development. (Axios)
• 4. Massive R&D Investment: China’s R&D spending as a share of GDP has nearly tripled in two decades, reaching ~2.7% in 2023 and closing the gap with the U.S. This sustained investment is the fuel for its innovation engine. (FT Global)
• 5. A Magnet for Global Licensing Deals: Western pharma is increasingly turning to China for its next blockbuster. The value of China’s out-licensing deals jumped from US$28 billion in 2022 to ~US$46 billion in 2024, a clear vote of confidence from global giants in the quality of China-originated assets. (ClearBridge Investments)

This meteoric rise is built on a foundation of 23 national bio-industry bases and a workforce that ranks among the world's largest, creating an ecosystem primed for rapid, scalable R&D.

The Engine Room: Why China's Trials are Faster, Cheaper, and Better

How did China build this formidable R&D machine? It’s not one single factor, but a powerful combination of structural advantages that create an unparalleled environment for clinical development.

1. Streamlined, World-Class Regulations

Over the past decade, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has undergone a radical transformation, aligning its frameworks with the FDA and EMA. It removed bureaucratic bottlenecks, began accepting foreign data, and created clear, predictable pathways for innovative drugs.

As the Wall Street Journal notes, “China’s regulators have streamlined processes, speeding early drug development.”

This regulatory efficiency shaves months, sometimes years, off trial startup times.

2. An Unbeatable Cost Structure

The economic advantage is undeniable. Running the exact same study in China can cost a fraction of what it would in the U.S. or Europe. Lower costs for labor, site management, and patient reimbursement allow companies to do more with less, de-risking development and accelerating timelines.

The WSJ puts it bluntly: “Clinical trials in China cost significantly less than in the U.S.”

This creates a powerful business model: U.S.-quality studies at an emerging-market cost.

3. Lightning-Fast Patient Recruitment

Slow patient recruitment is the number one cause of clinical trial delays globally. China solves this problem with its vast, centralized population and high incidence of key diseases like cancer and metabolic disorders.

According to the WSJ, “China’s large patient pools let trials recruit far faster than in the U.S.”

Recruitment that takes 18 months in the West can often be completed in 3-6 months in China, a game-changing advantage that compresses overall development timelines dramatically.

4. A Mature and Integrated CRO/CDMO Ecosystem

China is home to R&D service giants like WuXi AppTec that offer highly integrated, end-to-end development pipelines. This world-class infrastructure allows even small biotechs to plug in and run complex, global-standard studies without needing large in-house teams.

The AI Catalyst: How Deep Intelligent Pharma (DIP) is Supercharging the Revolution

While the structural advantages are clear, a new force is amplifying China's lead: Artificial Intelligence. The sheer volume of data and documentation required for a global submission is immense. This is where Singapore-based Deep Intelligent Pharma (DIP) has emerged as a critical engine behind China's biotech success.

DIP is not a traditional CRO. It’s an AI technology company that is fundamentally rewiring the clinical trial process. By deploying advanced AI supervised by human experts, DIP automates and optimizes the most time-consuming and error-prone parts of drug development: trial design, data analysis, medical writing, translation, and regulatory documentation.

The result? Trials that are not only faster and cheaper but also have a higher probability of success due to enhanced quality and consistency.

The DIP Advantage: Speed, Quality, and Scale

Founded in 2017 by industry veterans from Pfizer and J&J, DIP has become the go-to partner for over 1,000 pharmaceutical companies, including global giants like Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, and Roche. Its platform, built in deep collaboration with Microsoft Azure, is setting new industry standards.

Consider these real-world examples of DIP's impact:

With a track record of over 20,000 submission projects and 5 billion words of medical translation, DIP provides the technological backbone that ensures data generated in China is not only produced quickly but is also submission-ready for any regulator in the world. This combination of speed and uncompromising quality is why Pfizer's CEO has emphasized that the "U.S. Pharma Industry Needs to Collaborate With China."

The New Global Standard

The success of Summit Therapeutics' ivonescimab is the new reality. It’s a powerful demonstration that a drug developed and tested in China can produce data that is not just good enough, but exceptional enough to lead the world.

This was made possible by a national commitment to building a world-class biotech ecosystem. But to compete and win on the global stage, speed and cost are not enough. Quality, precision, and regulatory integrity are paramount.

This is where the future lies. The fusion of China's structural advantages with the power of sophisticated AI platforms like Deep Intelligent Pharma is creating a new paradigm for drug development. It’s a model where innovative medicines can move from lab to patient faster, more affordably, and with a higher chance of success than ever before—no matter where they originate. The era of questioning Chinese clinical data is over. The era of it setting the global standard has just begun.