China's Ascendancy in Oncology Research Alarms European Oncologists, Threatening Europe's Competitive Edge
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European oncologists are raising alarms over China's rapid ascent in oncology research, with concerns that the nation is on the verge of overtaking Europe's established position. This shift, highlighted at major oncology conferences, signals a significant geopolitical realignment in scientific innovation and poses critical questions for the global pharmaceutical industry.
China’s rise in oncology research is no longer anecdotal: a 2025 Nature portfolio review citing EFPIA/IQVIA data shows China’s share of commercially sponsored clinical trials climbing to 18% by 2023 as Europe’s fell to 12%, with oncology dominating roughly two-fifths of China’s Category 1 innovative drug trials.
Contents9 sections
Key Takeaways
- Europe commercial trial share: 22% (2013) → 12% (2023); China: 9% (2018) → 18% (2023).
- Oncology = 40.6% (652/1606) of analysed Category 1 innovative drug trials in China.
- Nature Index commentary: China-headquartered firms rose from ~5% to 35% of new clinical trials by 2023.
- European competitive response must be operational (start-up speed, MRCTs), not rhetorical.
What do primary sources say about China versus Europe?
The Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy review on China’s innovative drug development states China has surpassed Europe in clinical trial activity on EFPIA/IQVIA commercial-trial share metrics, with Europe declining from 22% (2013) to 12% (2023) and China rising from 9% (2018) to 18% (2023).
That is a stronger, sourced claim than unverified “39% of global oncology trials” figures circulating in secondary commentary—and the ones we keep.
Why does oncology dominate China’s innovative pipeline?
In the same review, Category 1 innovative drug trials were predominantly oncology at 40.6% (652 of 1,606). Nature Index reporting summarised in related Nature coverage also notes China-headquartered companies expanding from about 5% of new clinical trials a decade earlier to 35% by 2023, now starting more trials than US- or EU-based firms on that IQVIA framing.
For APAC BD, that means Chinese oncology assets are increasingly first-in-class or fast-follower candidates that will appear at ASCO/ESMO before European in-licensing teams finish diligence.
What should European oncology strategy change?
- Shorten clinical trial start-up and CTA timelines versus China competitors.
- Build China-evidence bridging playbooks for FDA/EMA filings.
- Track China-led Phase III abstracts as competitive intelligence, not curiosities.
Related NovaPharma pieces: ASCO 2026 Asian oncology innovation, oncology hub, and ASCO 2026 AstraZeneca/Roche.
How do ASCO 2026 China-led abstracts illustrate the shift?
Concrete Phase III programmes such as CONQUEST in immunotherapy-refractory nasopharyngeal carcinoma show China-origin sponsors generating positive PFS readouts on the ASCO stage, not merely contributing enrolment sites to Western MRCTs.
European BD teams that still treat Chinese oncology assets as secondary diligence items will miss first-look licensing windows. Pair bibliometric alarms with protocol-level reading of ASCO/ESMO abstracts and NMPA approval paths before competitors lock exclusive rights.
What remains unproven?
Commercial-trial share is not identical to scientific quality, approval rates, or global standard-of-care adoption. Nature Index “Share” leadership in cancer publications is a separate bibliometric signal and should not be conflated with Phase III success probability.
FDA’s global clinical trials materials and EMA research-and-development pages still set the bar for how China-generated evidence is used in Western filings.
Related NovaPharma coverage
- ASCO 2026 Asian oncology clinical trials
- ASCO 2026 European pharma analysis
- Oncology disease intelligence
Frequently Asked Questions
Has China overtaken Europe in clinical trial share?
A 2025 Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy review cites EFPIA/IQVIA figures showing Europe’s share of commercially sponsored clinical trials fell from 22% in 2013 to 12% in 2023, while China’s share rose from 9% in 2018 to 18% in 2023—surpassing Europe on that commercial-trial metric.
How large is oncology within China’s innovative trials?
The same Nature portfolio review reports that Category 1 innovative drug clinical trials in China were predominantly oncology, accounting for 40.6% of the total (652/1606) in the analysed year, underscoring cancer as the centre of gravity for China-origin innovative development.
What should European oncology portfolios do?
Treat China-origin assets and MRCTs as competitive peers: accelerate European start-up times, plan bridging strategies for China-generated evidence, and diligence ASCO/ESMO China-led Phase III readouts rather than assuming European scientific leadership is automatic.
Primary Sources
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