In its most recent regulatory reforms, China is proposing to allow online sales of prescription drugs, a major step forward that could boost struggling retail pharmacies and further propel medicine e-commerce.

Increasingly looking to China to commercialize their latest therapies, multinationals may be leaping into unknown waters to navigate an intellectual property judiciary and administrative maze, in a country where some copy drugs have been approved before patent expiry. With a government trying to balance innovation and access, two recent rulings involving AstraZeneca shed rare light onto China’s protections for innovation, with advisors pointing to challenges and success factors.

SinoVac’s rapid antibody response, CanSino’s easier logistics requirements - plus cost advantages - make Chinese developers optimistic about supplying the world with COVID vaccines.