Western drugmakers have spent record sums on medicines developed in China in recent years. Now they are going one step further — using Chinese hospitals to test experimental cell and gene therapies on humans for the first time.
对于在中国研发的药物，西方药企近年来投入的资金达到了前所未有的水平。如今它们又更进一步——首次通过中国医院，对在研细胞及基因疗法开展人体试验。
Over the past 18 months pharma groups, including AstraZeneca, Sana Biotechnology and Tempest Therapeutics, have pursued so-called investigator-initiated trials (IITs) with Chinese partners to take advantage of a fast-track route into clinical testing.
过去一年半，阿斯利康(AstraZeneca)、Sana Biotechnology和Tempest Therapeutics等医药集团纷纷与中国机构合作，开展所谓的“研究者发起的临床研究”(IIT)，这是一种快速的临床试验路径。
The trend signals a new stage in western pharma’s reliance on China. Foreign biotechs have turned to the country to license novel drugs or conduct research in recent years but are now entrusting Chinese hospitals to test experimental drugs in patients earlier than would be allowed in their own countries.
这一趋势表明，西方药业对中国的依赖进入了新阶段。近年来，许多外国生物科技企业从中国获得创新药授权或者借助中国开展研发活动，而如今它们还会早早委托中国医院在患者中试验在研药物——如果是在它们本国，获准开展试验会比较慢。