The hard going could get even tougher as a funding crunch continues for China’s biotech sector, which is being hit by a paradox that could see more pain ahead, leading investors to take the pulse of the sector as the Year of the Rabbit starts.

The Japanese pharma agreed to pay $400m up front plus up to $730m in milestones for a colorectal cancer drug already on the market in China and nearing regulatory filings in the US, EU and Japan.

Recent antibody mega-deals are providing a rare bright spot for the embattled China biotech sector, amid sharply rising COVID-19 deaths in the country that indicate rebound and recovery could take longer than previously expected.

From 2013 to November 2022, Chinese pharma companies as a single sponsor started a total of 35 international Phase III clinical studies for innovative drugs in the US, indicating a continuing push by the biopharma sector in the country to leverage increasing innovation to access this huge and lucrative market. Led by BeiGene, 20 firms have placed their bets on such studies and some are planning similar new moves despite an ongoing downturn in industry funding, this infographic analysis shows.