A new article authored by CIRS’ Dr Tina Wang and Dr Neil McAuslane, together with Prof Jin Wang of the OmniChain Med Institute, has been published in the September 2026 edition of DIA Global Forum. The article explores how China’s healthcare system is evolving from a focus on accelerating access to innovative medicines towards a broader emphasis on demonstrating real-world patient benefit.
Over the past decade, regulatory reforms in China have significantly reduced drug lag through initiatives such as priority review, breakthrough therapy designation, conditional approval pathways, and streamlined clinical development processes. These changes have enabled faster patient access to innovative therapies and strengthened China’s role in the global medicines development landscape.
The article examines the next phase of China’s healthcare and regulatory evolution: the increasing use of real-world evidence (RWE) to assess both clinical and economic value in routine practice. The authors discuss emerging frameworks for RWE generation and highlight important questions relating to evidence standards, transparency, uncertainty management, and the role of RWE in reimbursement and healthcare decision making.
As health systems worldwide seek to balance rapid access to innovation with robust evidence on patient outcomes and value, China’s experience offers valuable insights for regulators, industry, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.
Read the full article in DIA Global Forum: China’s Path to Support Innovation in Medicine and Patient Benefit: From Development Speed to RWE and Value