A recent survey of senior US industry and academic leaders finds that the United States continues to lead in biotech quality and commercial reach, while China leads in clinical development and supply chain.
The poll by Cure Innovation Index was presented on Monday in San Diego, California, at the annual meeting of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. It found the US leads in moving experimental products to large-scale production, capital, commercialisation and talent, while the two countries tie in scientific discovery.
“The US is still leading, but confidence is eroding. Most said they see China as an existential threat,” said Seema Kumar, CEO at Cure. Of the 117 respondents, 85 per cent said the US lead will last 10 years or less.
The survey noted that by 2024 the US share of early drug development programmes had dropped to around 37 per cent from 48 per cent in 2015, while China’s share rose to over 32 per cent from 8 per cent.