China’s allowance of early clinical trials for drugs sourced outside of the country will help domestic companies develop innovative drugs for the domestic market, as shown by the licensing deal between Lee’s Pharma and RegeneRx for a dry eye syndrome treatment. With the China xerophthalmia segment showing rapid growth, the country may eventually become one of the biggest markets in the world for RGN-259.

The price slashes were so harsh that industry associations have staged a rare faceoff with authorities, with many worrying that the Hunan drug tender, being the first in the year, may herald a new round of drug price cuts in China.

As Sanofi enters a new phase in the insulin race amid heating competition in the country with the highest number of diabetics, it has outlined a new strategy in China, starting from a better understanding of the disease. It is also shifting from simply offering products to providing broader solutions, the firm’s global diabetes head Pierre Chancel says in an interview.

Newer drugs at Bayer helped the bottom line in the third quarter while the world’s top insulin maker Novo Nordisk missed expectations, but held out emerging markets as a bright spot. Teva tussled with analysts on the surprise exit of Jeremy Levin and said that many of the plans during his brief tenure were driven by the board and remain in place.