As residents of China's largest city brace for a possible prolonged lockdown, the gathering COVID-19 outbreak is set to cause some pharma disruption in the country, while broader geopolitical factors including Ukraine are hindering the industry's global ambitions. 

As residents of China's largest city brace for a possible prolonged lockdown, the gathering COVID-19 outbreak is set to cause some pharma disruption in the country, while broader geopolitical factors including Ukraine are hindering the industry's global ambitions. 

China has signaled that it will offer a more level playing field to foreign players as part of a bid to join a major regional trade pact but some see the gesture as offering little real relief and high hurdles remain.

As Chinese returnees transform their startups to fully-fledged biopharma operations with a full product lineup and the global market in sight, the journey has been filled with challenges. Based on interviews and on-the-ground reporting, this new series takes a closer look at several companies' experiences.