Chinese domestic firms have gained a flurry of novel drug approvals at home, including the first globally for an anti-PD-1 antibody for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The Beijing/Boston-based bioventure shocked the industry with its recent announcement of the return of exclusive rights to an oncology assets in the greater China area to its US licensee, in an effort to focus squarely on rare diseases. CEO James Xue shares his views on this market in China in an exclusive interview with Scrip.

In the latest sign that some multinationals are scaling down operations in the world's second-largest pharma market, Mundipharma is reported to be exploring the sale of its business in China, with a large group of bidders including state-owned Sinopharm and local private equity firm Boyu Capital in the running.