Plagued by a scandal which gained global attention a few years go, the gene therapy sector has recovered and is now thriving in China. But a drive for innovation, combined with ready cash for aspiring start-ups, may not translate into leaps and bounds in the field due to challenges unique to these latest treatments, including manufacturing, durability and coverage.

Nanjing-based Chinese biotech says it has had a US clinical hold put in place for it CAR-T, amid broader challenges for China's cell therapy sector and more measured reaction to the setback than the recent immuno-oncology decision in the US.

Out of the more than 40 approvals granted to new drugs in China in 2021, domestic companies bagged around half to catch up with their multinational peers in the annual innovation scorecard.

The approval of China's second CAR-T therapy has come amid reimbursement challenges, despite the pricing of its direct competitor being much lower than in the US. Chinese developers are pinning their hopes on rapid domestic market expansion via commercial insurance tie-ups as other CAR-Ts move through local development.