Over the past decade, China has implemented sweeping reforms that dramatically shortened drug development cycles and streamlined clinical trial approvals. A major driver of this acceleration is China’s long-term, innovation-focused policy agenda. Under the 14th and 15th Five‑Year Plans, the government emphasized biological manufacturing, precision medicine, and innovation‑led growth, signaling a shift from infrastructure expansion to innovation-driven healthcare leadership. [1]

A 2025 analysis in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery highlights how reforms such as the 2015 Opinions on the Reform of Review and Approval Process for Drugs and Medical Devices and the 2020 revision of the Provisions for Drug Registration reduced regulatory backlogs, introduced priority review pathways, and shortened IND review timelines to 60 days.[2] Beyond regulation, China’s innovation ecosystem has accelerated. The country has seen a surge of domestic biotech startups and a notable rise in licensing of Chinese-origin assets to global partners, shifting from “in China, for China” to “in China, for the world.” [3] These changes have helped position China as a formidable force in biopharmaceutical innovation.

China’s pharmaceutical market also expanded rapidly, nearly tripling from 1.21 trillion RMB in 2010 to 2.97 trillion RMB in 2024. Today, China accounts for 29.5% of the global drug R&D pipeline, according to a 2025 Frontiers in Pharmacology review.[4]  Meanwhile, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has moved toward greater alignment with global regulatory standards, further contributing to China’s growing “speed advantage” in healthcare innovation.

But Speed Doesn’t Have to Mean Overseas

While China’s progress is undeniably impressive, companies don’t need a China-based vendor to achieve similar speed. In fact, using an overseas partner can introduce challenges such as: IP exposure risks, communication delays, long shipping times, customs bottlenecks, and variable quality expectations across borders.

Synoligo was built to eliminate those trade-offs while matching and often exceeding the speed that China is known for.

Here’s how we achieve “China Speed,” domestically:

1. Fast Synthesis Including Complex & Highly Modified Oligos (2-3 weeks)
   • This turnaround time rivals or surpasses typical overseas synthesis turnaround times, especially after accounting for international shipping and import delays.
2. High-Throughput Screening in 3–8 Weeks
   • Enabling rapid identification of functional hits, early elimination of off target liabilities and data-rich decision making
3. Integrated Workflow: Lead Candidates in ~12 Weeks
   • Allowing  direct communication between chemistry and biology teams
   • Faster troubleshooting, shorter iteration cycles and higher probability of meaningful leads.
4. Ironclad IP Protection
   • With Synoligo, you retain full rights to your sequences
   • All manufacturing takes place domestically
   • No international data transfers or overseas database exposure
5. Deep Expertise of Over 100 years of combined oligo manufacturing experience
   • Our senior chemistry team includes leaders from top U.S. oligo manufacturers, with hands‑on experience across: siRNA, ASOs, aptamers and complex modifications.
6. Proven Performance on Critical, Time-Sensitive Projects
   • We support urgent therapeutic programs where turnaround time can directly influence patient outcomes, particularly in rare diseases where N‑of‑1 or ultra-low‑n treatments are needed.

Our operational agility, domestic location, and scientific rigor make Synoligo a strategic partner for companies that are seeking the advantages of “China Speed” without going overseas.

---

References:

1. Liu, S., Hu, H., Ge, C., Yuan, S., Jiang, J., & Chen, X. (2025). The rise of China’s pharmaceutical industry from 2015–2024: A decade of innovation. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.
2. Kankar, A. (2025, November 10). China’s healthcare evolution: Policy stability, biotech ambition, and the march toward global healthcare leadership. BioSpectrum Asia.
3. Wang, J., He, M., Lu, F., Chen, Y., & Wang, H. (2025). Technological and industrial trends in China’s pharmaceutical sector. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1579037
4. Lu, C., Zhang, D., & Zhang, H. (2025, July 11). China on the move: China’s healthcare and life sciences regulatory evolution in 2025. Greenberg Traurig LLP.