Pfizer CEO touts China's 'dramatic speed' in biopharma, calls for U.S. collaboration

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The U.S. pharmaceutical industry needs to collaborate with China, given the country's relatively faster drug development, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PFE]) CEO Albert Bourla said at an event on Tuesday.

"In biopharma, China's dramatic speed, cost and scale have triggered a shift in the global competitive landscape," he said while addressing the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Gala, as reported by _Reuters_.

Bourla noted [https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-ceo-says-us-pharma-industry-needs-collaborate-with-china-2025-10-15/] that China currently has around 1,200 novel drug candidates, compared to about 60 a decade ago. He added that Chinese pharma companies can recruit patients for clinical trials 2–5 times as quickly as U.S. firms.

China accounts for nearly 30% of global drug development, compared to 48% for the U.S., according to data provider Citeline.

Licensing deals with Chinese pharma companies have also been ramping up. U.S. companies signed [https://www.globaldata.com/media/business-fundamentals/large-pharma-drug-licensing-from-china-reaches-record-high-at-28-in-2024-reveals-globaldata/] deals worth $21.3B in 2024 to license Chinese innovator drug candidates, up 280% from 2020, according to GlobalData.

"Chinese biotech firms accounted for nearly one-third of all large pharma drug licensing deals last year, a major shift in where innovation is sourced," Pfizer's (NYSE:PFE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PFE]) Bourla said.

The CEO's statements come as the U.S. and China are locked in an escalating tariff war, while U.S. lawmakers are seeking to restrict [https://www.congress.gov/amendment/119th-congress/senate-amendment/3236/text] business with Chinese biotechnology firms.

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