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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China targets a new frontier in its bid to eclipse the West
For the world's leading cancer doctors and scientists, few events in the calendar are more prestigious than the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco). Each year, tens of thousands of top researchers gather to unveil pivotal scientific breakthroughs and new therapies that will shape the future of cancer care across the globe. The event has changed the way scientists view breast cancer, challenged views on colorectal cancer and offered novel ideas on how to help seriously ill patients. The discovery which everyone was speaking about last year was one made by a little-known biotech firm called Akeso. Its new lung cancer drug had achieved something 'unprecedented', its US partner Summit Therapeutics said on the eve of Asco. The new experimental drug 'decisively beat' Merck's blockbuster lung cancer treatment in clinical trials. The news came as a shock – not just because it challenged Merck's well-known dominance in lung cancer drugs, but because Akeso was Chinese. For years, Asco's annual meeting has been dominated by American scientists. However, last year was different. It marked a watershed moment for the pharmaceutical sector, which had long written off China as a nation that excelled in drug manufacturing and 'copycat' treatments but not medicine discovery. Akeso's debut on the world stage has been described as a 'DeepSeek' moment for the industry – a reference to the sudden emergence of a highly advanced AI chatbot out of China earlier this year, which took US tech giants by surprise and wiped close to $1 trillion (£740bn) off global stock markets. Summit's shares are up more than 600pc since first announcing the lung cancer trial results. 'The two large innovators in our industry today are the US and China,' Sir Pascal Soriot, the boss of AstraZeneca, said in March. 'China is, I think over the next five to 10 years, going to emerge as really a driving force for innovation in our sector.' It sets the stage for a growing tussle between the US and China over the future of drug development. Donald Trump has been clear that he wants pharmaceutical giants to be investing more in America. Biopharmaceutical companies and their suppliers account for 4.9m jobs and are worth around $1.65 trillion to the US. However, drug companies are increasingly turning east when it comes to investing in new drugs and clinical trials. Not only is China becoming an easier place to research and create new drugs, but the Trump administration is also shaking faith in the US. Vaccine sceptic health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has prompted much anxiety in the industry. By contrast, China is 'very business friendly and stable' Novartis boss Vas Narasimhan said in May. Beijing has been attempting to win more pharma investment for years – and specifically attempting to boost funding for drug innovation. Drug discovery was a key pillar of the 'Healthy China 2030' strategy unveiled in 2016, aimed at helping the country cope with its ageing population. The focus has already paid dividends. Over the past three years alone, the number of Chinese drugs in development has doubled to 4,391. Almost half are either novel drugs or something known as a 'fast-follower', where treatments are quickly developed on the back of breakthroughs by rivals. According to Barclays, the number of so-called 'first-in-class' drugs under development in China rose to around 120 last year, having been in the single digits in 2015. First-in-class essentially measures the level of innovation by looking at the highest development stage a drug has reached and the earliest time it reached that stage. The growth in China is unmatched. While the US, which has long been regarded as the world leader in drug discovery, has more first-in-class drugs in development, at 151, the growth rate has been much slower. 'The shift isn't incremental, it's tectonic,' says Abhishek Jha, the founder of life sciences data company Elucidata. One crucial part of Beijing's push to drive more drug discovery has been speeding up clinical trials. In China, regulators allow businesses to get studies up and running quicker, and then update them as they progress. This can provide early data on new drugs, which is a major draw for multinational companies looking for novel treatments that show signs of working well. It has sparked a boom in studies taking place in China. According to figures from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), China accounted for around 18pc of clinical trials sponsored by companies in 2023 compared to just 5pc in 2013. Meanwhile, the US proportion has dipped from 28pc to 23pc. Clinical trial enrolment in China is surging, with around 40pc now having more than 100 participants. Fewer regulatory barriers are just one of a number of reasons pharma companies are turning to China. Workers, too, are less averse to working unsociable hours than they would be in Western nations. Shirley Chen, a Barclays analyst, says: 'Chinese scientists may be happier to accept very long work hours and people like hospital personnel [where trials take place] are actually okay to do night shifts.' Major drug giants are now scouring China for potential deals. The likes of GSK, AstraZeneca and Merck have all struck deals worth more than $1bn to get the rights to develop and sell Chinese drugs outside the country. The rise of China's pharmaceutical industry has started to raise alarm bells in the US. Trump may be focused on returning manufacturing jobs to the US, yet some say he should be concerned that more high-quality jobs and research posts are starting to drift to China. 'Five years ago, US pharmaceutical companies didn't license any new drugs from China,' Scott Gottlied, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, wrote earlier this month. 'By 2024, one third of their new compounds were coming from Chinese biotechnology firms.' He warned that the shift of clinical trials to Asia could undermine innovation in the US as companies choose to 'divert funds that might otherwise bolster innovation hubs such as Boston's Kendall Square or North Carolina's Research Triangle'. 'The US biotechnology industry was the world's envy, but if we're not careful, every drug could be made in China.' While Trump exempted most countries' pharmaceutical industries from tariffs in his 'liberation day' blitz, China was not spared. That means physically manufacturing drugs for the US in China is out of the question, for now at least. However, unless the US rights the ship, many of its treatments may well be designed in China in future. As pharmaceutical leaders made their way to the annual Asco meeting this week, the shifting power balance will no doubt be on attendees' minds. Industry chiefs may be congregating at a US research conference, but attention is turning to the east. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Medscape
3 days ago
- General
- Medscape
Independent Cancer Risk Predictors ID'd for Sjögren Disease
TOPLINE: Patients with Sjögren disease (SjD) had a 68% higher risk for overall malignancy than the general population, with hematologic malignancies contributing more to this elevated risk than solid tumors. Cancer accounted for 23.8% of deaths, with older age at diagnosis, smoking, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and cryoglobulinemia identified as key predictors. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a prospective study to investigate the risk for cancer among patients with SjD who met the 2002 American-European Consensus Group criteria (n = 314; mean age at inclusion, 66 years; 94.6% women) over a median follow-up of 9.5 years. They collected information at baseline and follow-up on systemic manifestations, serological markers, disease activity scores, and treatment regimens. They calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) to compare the incidence of cancer between the study and the general population. TAKEAWAY: Overall, 7.01% of patients developed malignancies during follow-up; of these, 50% developed hematologic malignancies — all being non-Hodgkin lymphoma — while the remaining 50% developed solid tumors. Patients with SjD had a 68% higher risk of developing cancer than the general population (SIR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.68-1.69), mainly driven by a higher risk for hematologic malignancies (SIR, 3.55; 95% CI, 3.54-3.56) than for solid tumors (SIR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.53-1.55). Older age at diagnosis, smoking, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and cryoglobulinemia were independent predictors of malignancy. Of the 42 deaths, cancer was responsible for 23.8% of deaths, with a relative risk of 2.21 for mortality in patients with a history or new diagnosis of cancer. IN PRACTICE: 'These findings underscore the need for early identification of high-risk patients and the refinement of risk prediction models,' the study authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Olga Rusinovich-Lovgach, MD, Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, and was published online on May 4, 2025, in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. LIMITATIONS: The small number of malignancies reduced statistical power, which may have prevented the evaluation of cancer-specific SIRs. The lack of a non-SjD control group may have limited the ability to differentiate disease-specific risk factors. Additionally, selection bias may be present, as patients recruited from rheumatology clinics likely had more severe disease, potentially not reflecting the broader SjD population. DISCLOSURES: This study received grants or industrial support from the Spanish Society of Rheumatology. One author reported receiving administrative support, article publishing charges, statistical analysis, and other ties with the Spanish Society of Rheumatology. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
New antibiotic that could save millions of lives enters final testing
Roche, a Swiss drugmaker, is advancing zosurabalpin, a new antibiotic developed with Harvard University, into the third and final phase of testing. Zosurabalpin will be tested against drug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii bacteria, which the CDC identifies as an "urgent threat" and has not been addressed by new antibiotics in over 50 years. The Phase 3 trial will involve approximately 400 patients worldwide, comparing zosurabalpin to standard treatment. Roche aims to combat antimicrobial resistance with this innovation, potentially revealing new insights into bacterial membranes for future antibiotic discovery. The experimental drug is hoped to be approved by the end of the decade, addressing the global issue of Sepsis, which causes approximately 11 million deaths annually, and community-acquired pneumonia, which kills three to four million people each year.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Climate change fuelling spread of deadly fungal infections, study warns
The climate crisis is rapidly expanding the global reach of life-threatening fungal infections, with rising temperatures enabling dangerous species to thrive in new regions, according to a new study. Two major fungal pathogens – Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus – are set to spread faster across new parts of Europe and other regions as warming continues, researchers warn. The findings raise fresh concerns about the growing health burden posed by fungal diseases, which remain understudied compared to other infectious threats. Using climate modelling, researchers from the University of Manchester found that A fumigatus, which causes aspergillosis, a severe and often fatal lung infection, could expand its geographical range by 77 per cent by 2100 under high-emission scenarios. The shift would potentially expose an additional nine million people across Europe to the fungus. Meanwhile, A flavus, which infects crops and produces carcinogenic aflatoxins, is projected to spread over 16 per cent more land globally. Its spread threatens both human health and food security, particularly in regions already vulnerable to climate stress. 'Changes in environmental factors, such as humidity and extreme weather events, will change habitats and drive fungal adaptation and spread,' Dr Norman van Rhijn, one of the authors of the study, said. The findings come amid growing concern that fungal infections – long neglected by global health policy – could spark a major public health crisis in coming decades. Unlike bacterial infections, fungi are harder to treat and resistant to many existing drugs. Despite the threat, less than 10 per cent of the world's estimated fungal species have been described. In 2022, the World Health Organisation listed fungal pathogens among its top priority threats for the first time. Despite this, fungal research remains underfunded. In response to the growing risks, the Wellcome Trust has announced over £50 million in funding for fungal disease research over the next year. 'We have already seen the emergence of the fungus Candida auris due to rising temperatures, but, until now, we had little information of how other fungi might respond to this change in the environment,' said Dr van Rhijn. 'Fungi are relatively under researched compared to viruses and parasites, but these maps show that fungal pathogens will likely impact most areas of the world in the future. Raising awareness and developing effective interventions for fungal pathogens will be essential to mitigate the consequences of this.' Experts warn that the spread of fungal infections may also be accelerated by extreme weather events such as storms, droughts and wildfires, all of which can disturb spores and create ideal conditions for fungal proliferation. While the study found that warmer climates could drive fungal spread across new parts of Europe, some parts of Africa may become too hot for certain fungi to survive. However, researchers warned that fungi's resilience, large genomes, and rapid adaptability make them capable of evolving in response to new conditions. Antifungal resistance is also increasing, driven in part by the widespread use of fungicides in agriculture. Many infections have high mortality rates, and existing antifungal treatments are limited due to toxicity and the biological similarity between fungi and humans. 'Fungal pathogens pose a serious threat to human health by causing infections and disrupting food systems. Climate change will make these risks worse,' Viv Goosens, research manager at Wellcome, said. 'To address these challenges, we must fill important research gaps. By using models and maps to track the spread of fungi, we can better direct resources and prepare for the future.'
Medscape
21-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Skin Cancer Burden Highest in Older Men, Rich Countries
In 2021, skin cancer affected millions of older adults globally. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) had the highest incidence, while squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounted for the greatest disability burden, and men and high sociodemographic index (SDI) countries, especially in Australasia and North America, bore a disproportionate share of cases and deaths. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 database covering 204 countries from 1990 to 2021. The analysis included age-standardized rates (ASRs) of prevalence, incidence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 population associated with skin cancer among adults aged 65 years or older. Disease burden was stratified by sex, age, year, and SDI. TAKEAWAY: In 2021, there were an estimated 153,993 new cases of melanoma, 1,463,424 of SCC, and 2,802,354 of BCC. BCC had the highest incidence rate (ASRs, 371.97), whereas SCC exhibited the highest prevalence (ASR, 236.91) and DALYs (ASR, 95.50). Men had a higher incidence than women, and population growth was the major driver of the increasing disease burden. The highest ASRs of melanoma incidence (158.10), prevalence (1165.26), deaths (27.83), and DALYs (502.22) were reported in Australasia. North America had the highest incidence and prevalence rates for keratinocyte carcinoma (KC). Australasia also recorded the highest SCC-related deaths (ASR, 15.37) and DALYs (ASR, 226.92). The highest BCC-related DALY rate (ASR, 1.21) was observed in North America. Melanoma-related death rates were more than five times higher in high SDI countries (ASR, 9.49) than in low-middle to middle SDI countries. Despite high SDI levels, the United States, Greenland, Sweden, and Switzerland had disproportionately high BCC-related DALY rates, while New Zealand, Australia, Norway, North Macedonia, and Slovenia had higher-than-expected melanoma-related DALY rates. IN PRACTICE: 'The findings of this study suggest that the global disease burden of skin cancer in adults 65 years or older is on the rise, particularly among male individuals and in countries with a high SDI level,' the study authors wrote. 'Our results underscore the urgency to enact prevention and treatment strategies tailored to high-risk older populations.' SOURCE: This study was led by Ruiyao Wang, MD, Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in Chongqing, China, and was published online on May 21 in JAMA Dermatology . LIMITATIONS: Limitations included underreporting of KC in major cancer registries, reliance on modeled estimates for countries with limited data, and the absence of race and ethnicity data. DISCLOSURES: This study received support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chongqing Science and Technology Commission. The authors did not report any conflicts of interest.
