Accelerating the Entire Chain: Beijing’s Ten Departments Jointly Release 32 New Policies to Support Innovative Medicine

Since 2024, Beijing has implemented the “Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of Innovative Medicine” for two consecutive years, achieving significant results. By 2025, the time taken to initiate clinical trial projects in the city was reduced to 21.6 weeks, nearly 11 weeks shorter than in 2023, with a total of 215 global synchronized clinical trials conducted throughout the year. There were 16 newly approved innovative drugs and medical devices, including 6 innovative drugs and 10 Class III medical devices. Johnson & Johnson’s “Nikalimab Injection” became the first biological product in the country approved for segmented production pilot testing. Additionally, 674 types of national negotiated innovative drugs were directly included in the list of drugs used in designated medical institutions, and the list of special drugs covered by the Beijing Universal Health Insurance expanded to 159 types. The scale of the pharmaceutical and health industry reached 1.13 trillion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 6.5%.

Key industrial projects such as Sanofi’s insulin raw material production base and Eli Lilly’s localized production of Aofugrel tablets have been established in Beijing. Over 20 major pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, have expanded their investments or established R&D centers in the city.

On April 7, 2026, the Beijing Medical Security Bureau and nine other departments jointly launched the “Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of Innovative Medicine (2026 Edition)” (hereinafter referred to as “Measures 2026 Edition”), which further accelerates innovation in the pharmaceutical and health industry. This initiative implements a rolling action plan for high-quality development across the industry chain, continuously building a comprehensive support system for “R&D – Approval – Production – Application”. It aims to provide a precise, stable, and predictable policy environment for innovative drug and device companies, fully stimulating the new quality of productive forces.

The “Measures 2026 Edition” consists of 32 new initiatives and will adhere to Beijing’s role as a leader in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei International Science and Technology Innovation Center. It will closely follow the cutting edge of pharmaceutical technology development and focus on source innovation. Key areas include AI-driven predictions, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip technologies, with the goal of developing no fewer than 15 models. In immunotherapy and drug development, high-level R&D platforms will be established to promote clinical translation applications, discover new targets, and develop candidate drugs.

Efforts will also focus on high-difficulty surgical techniques such as interventional treatment for complex coronary lesions, precise radiotherapy for complex tumors, and removal of epiretinal membranes without vitrectomy, advancing research and transformation of key core technologies for medical robots. A group of internationally influential project leaders capable of leading international multi-center clinical trials will be cultivated. Additional policies include enhancing service capabilities of industry platforms, supporting the expansion of drug and device production, and accelerating the digital transformation of the pharmaceutical industry.

The measures also aim to support at least 120 international multi-center clinical trials, collaborate on pharmaceutical and device challenges in areas like process materials and components, promote the approval of at least 18 new innovative drugs and devices, and facilitate the use of innovative drugs and surgical robots in hospitals. The initiative also emphasizes the importance of regulatory scientific research, strengthens intellectual property protection in the pharmaceutical sector, and highlights the role of commercial health insurance in supporting innovation.

All relevant departments in the city will firmly uphold the capital’s functional positioning of the “four centers” and seize strategic opportunities from the “two zones” construction. By enhancing cross-departmental collaboration and data sharing, the aim is to comprehensively improve the original innovation capability of pharmaceutical technology and the efficiency of clinical service supply, thereby increasing public satisfaction and security regarding high-quality medical services.

Relevant units are hereby notified that, with the approval of the municipal government, the “Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of Innovative Medicine (2026 Edition)” is distributed to you. In case of discrepancies with prior regulations, this document shall prevail, and strict compliance is required.

Beijing Medical Security Bureau
Beijing Health Commission
Beijing Drug Administration
Beijing Science and Technology Commission
Zhongguancun Science Park Management Committee
Beijing Development and Reform Commission
Beijing Economic and Information Technology Bureau
Financial Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee
National Financial Supervisory Administration Beijing Bureau
Beijing Customs of the People’s Republic of China
Beijing Intellectual Property Bureau
April 7, 2026

Measures to Support High-Quality Development of Innovative Medicine (2026 Edition)

To fully leverage Beijing’s role as a leader in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei International Science and Technology Innovation Center and accelerate the innovation development of the pharmaceutical and health industry, the following work measures are proposed to promote the high-quality development of innovative drugs and medical devices, better meeting the public’s need for disease prevention and treatment:

1. Enhance Clinical Research Capability for Innovative Medicine

1. Enhance International Clinical Trial Capacity: Establish a clinical research capability training base relying on the National Clinical Medicine Research Center. Train a group of project leaders with international influence who can conduct international multi-center clinical trials. Improve the green channel for clinical trials of innovative drugs and devices in medical institutions, supporting no fewer than 120 international multi-center clinical trials.
2. Focus on Key Areas: In AI and organoid technology, develop at least 15 models to accelerate candidate drug screening. In drug delivery, support the development of new technologies for brain delivery and nucleic acid delivery outside the liver. In brain-machine interface technology, conduct R&D on core components such as high-throughput flexible deep electrodes, developing invasive products with 512 channels.
3. Strengthen Collaborative Innovation: Establish a regular communication mechanism between clinical needs and industrial R&D, regularly compile reports on the development of specific pharmaceutical health sectors, and guide the direction of clinical research and corporate R&D.
4. Advance Biobank Construction: Develop key technologies for automated sample collection, processing, and high-throughput extraction for biobanks. Support the establishment of high-level disease-specific cohorts to empower precision medicine and new drug development.
5. Promote the Transformation of Innovative Achievements: Expand the range of pilot hospitals and encourage them to increase their R&D investment to at least 6% of medical income and collaborate closely with incubators.

2. Optimize Review and Approval of Innovative Drugs and Devices

1. Accelerate the Market Entry of Innovative Drugs and Devices: Deepen project-based management for innovative drugs and devices, improving the operational quality of the four innovation service stations and pushing for the approval of at least 18 new innovative drugs and devices.
2. Deepen Pilot Reforms in Review and Approval: Optimize the review and approval process for supplementary applications of drugs produced overseas.
3. Enhance Quality and Efficiency of Drug and Device Testing: Open a green channel for supplementary application registrations, reducing the timeframe from 70 days to 40 days.
4. Support Research in Regulatory Science: Advance the construction of regulatory science innovation research bases and establish a regulatory science innovation center.

3. Improve Production and Distribution of Innovative Medicine

1. Enhance Service Capacity of Industry Platforms: Build a number of high-level professional incubators and open pilot platforms to support leading enterprises in establishing pilot production lines.
2. Facilitate the Expansion of Drug and Device Production: Set up city-level task forces to provide comprehensive guidance for key industrial projects.
3. Support the Growth of Enterprises: Encourage companies to introduce significant drug and device varieties and provide targeted support for industrialization.
4. Accelerate the Digital Transformation of the Pharmaceutical Industry: Implement equipment upgrade projects and create smart manufacturing demonstration factories.

4. Promote Clinical Use of Innovative Drugs and Devices

1. Improve the Use of Innovative Drugs and Devices in Hospitals: Streamline the entry of innovative drugs through a green channel, ensuring processing time does not exceed 15 working days.
2. Deepen Medical Insurance Payment Reform: Explore various methods to satisfy clinical needs for innovative medical devices.
3. Support Real-World Research on Innovative Drugs and Devices: Evaluate the comprehensive value of innovative drugs and devices from multiple perspectives, including clinical effectiveness and economic viability.

5. Strengthen AI Empowerment for Innovative Medicine

1. Enhance High-Quality Data Supply: Establish a supply-demand matching mechanism to leverage Beijing’s high-level medical resources and data interconnectivity.
2. Promote the Flow of Health and Medical Data: Develop industry standards for data development and utilization to ensure safe and compliant data circulation.
3. Expand AI Applications: Support the validation of applications in typical scenarios like AI+medical equipment and 5G+telemedicine.

6. Strengthen Investment and Financing Support for Innovative Medicine

1. Enhance Equity Investment Fund Empowerment: Utilize municipal government investment funds to guide investments exceeding 10 billion yuan.
2. Diversify Financing Channels: Explore the introduction of innovative drug and device R&D loans and encourage companies to finance through bond issuance.

7. Ensure Comprehensive Support Measures

1. Establish a Knowledge Property Protection and Service System: Develop mechanisms to quickly resolve disputes and ensure rapid patent review.
2. Strengthen Inter-Departmental Collaboration: Utilize the city’s health coordination mechanism to continuously provide comprehensive services for innovative drugs and devices.

These comprehensive measures aim to create a conducive environment for innovative medicine, ultimately enhancing the quality and accessibility of healthcare services in Beijing.