"China's Engineering-Based Drug Development Capability Is the World's Best"... Where Can Korean Biotech Break Through?

Global Investment Expert's Assessment at BIX 2026
China Dominates in the Speed of Drug Candidate Design and Optimization
"South Korea Should Differentiate Through Foundational Technologies and Global Clinical Trials"

China is changing the competitive landscape of the global biotech industry by leveraging its ability to develop drug candidates quickly and at low cost, according to industry assessments. Other countries, including South Korea, should focus on discovering new biological mechanisms and proprietary platform technologies rather than competing with China on the speed or cost of drug candidate development.

Joshua Resnick, a partner at RA Capital, said at a session at BioPlus-Interphex Korea 2026 (BIX 2026), held on Oct. 28 at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, "China has a globally unmatched capability in engineering-based drug development. It has become very difficult for the United States, Europe and South Korea to compete with China in this field."

"Asia is a region where high levels of innovation can be achieved at relatively low cost," Resnick said. "The range and scale of molecules being developed in China are particularly remarkable. When a new target is disclosed anywhere in the world, multiple related development programs can begin in China within just a few weeks."

A professional session is underway at BioPlus-Interphex Korea 2026 (BIX 2026), held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 28th. Photo by Lee Sung-min.

The area where China has a competitive edge, he emphasized, is "engineering-based drug development." Rather than discovering new biological mechanisms, this field involves using known targets or ideas to design and optimize drug candidates. Chinese companies have an advantage in improving the efficacy or properties of existing drug candidates by drawing on large-scale research and development infrastructure and personnel, he explained.

Resnick stressed that countries seeking to compete with China should focus on both ends of this development process: early-stage research and development to discover new biological mechanisms and original platforms, and later-stage work to advance developed drug candidates into global clinical trials and commercialization.

"China is excellent at quickly and efficiently implementing and improving on other people's ideas," he said. "But other countries have room to differentiate themselves in discovering new biological approaches and advancing global clinical trials and market entry."

He added, "The assets we invest in need to deliver meaningful results when they succeed scientifically and clinically. They must address clear unmet medical needs and also be commercially differentiated."

Another view raised was that South Korean biotech companies need to change how they approach drug development to strengthen their global competitiveness. "South Korea has high-level scientific and technological capabilities, outstanding contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) capabilities, and extensive connections with the global pharmaceutical industry," said Min Jiyoung, senior vice president at OliX. "Even so, we have tended to approach drug development sequentially."

"South Korean companies have very strong and original platform technologies, while China has advantages in development speed and resources," said Jinwon In, a director at Nona Biosciences. "By leveraging each other's strengths, we can create more opportunities for collaboration."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.