How did China become a global leader in life sciences?

An NBER working paper by Barwick, Xia and Xia (2026) provides the answer: In 2010, China accounted for less than 8% of global clinical trials; by 2020, it had surpassed the US in annual registered clinical trial volume…We provide strong evidence that China’s rise was primarily driven by the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) reform,…

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THCB Gang Episode 146, Tuesday November 26

Joining Matthew Holt (@boltyboy) on #THCBGang on Tuesday November 26 at 1PM PT 4PM ET are THCB regular writer and ponderer of odd juxtapositions Kim Bellard (@kimbbellard); medical historian Mike Magee (@drmikemagee); and a new guest from Marsh McLennan, Employee Benefits Consultant Ryan Koo (@RyanKoo). You can see the video below & if you’d rather listen…

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Harris and Trump Are Ready To Take on Big Pharma

Former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are both eager to take on high drug prices, leaving pharmaceutical companies on the defensive as they spend millions of dollars this election season. When Harris was California’s attorney general, she joined cases that resulted in almost $7.2 billion (about $22 per person in the United…

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