Latest approval gives major US drug maker new foothold in China’s heated and increasingly crowded PD-1 immuno-oncology race.

Dermatologists have compared the current market for vitiligo to that of psoriasis 30 years ago, which grew from one with a dearth of therapies to one worth about $8bn.

From relatively little-known to high-flying, hotly pursued targets by global pharma players, Chinese domestically developed immuno-oncology drugs are ascending in both value and attractiveness, both inside China and far beyond.