China’s 2027 innovative drug R&D guidelines set priorities for original innovation and clinical translation

China’s 2027 Application Guidelines for the National Science and Technology Major Project on Innovative Drug Research and Development outline 43 research directions addressing major unmet clinical needs across diverse therapeutic areas, drug modalities and enabling technologies. The Guidelines emphasize original innovation, interdisciplinary integration, differentiated funding and governance, and clinically oriented development, with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing and advanced drug delivery increasingly integrated into drug R&D. Quantitative clinical milestones further reinforce the translation of research outcomes toward clinical development and market authorization. Collectively, these priorities reflect China’s continued transition toward independently originated drug innovation and an increasingly integrated drug R&D ecosystem.