BIOCHINA2026 Update: Oligonucleotide Drug Innovation & Development Forum to Spotlight China’s Next Growth Engine

China’s oligonucleotide drug sector is entering a critical phase of growth, marked by accelerating regulatory approvals and expanding industry engagement. On December 25, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved AstraZeneca’s eplontersen sodium injection, highlighting the steady transition of small nucleic acid therapies from early promise to clinical and commercial application in the Chinese market.

Oligonucleotide therapies—including small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs)—have gained increasing attention due to their high target specificity and durable efficacy. Despite this progress, the industry continues to face structural challenges, including effective extrahepatic delivery, expansion beyond rare disease indications, and ongoing pressures related to CMC optimization, cost control, and scalable manufacturing.

In response to these developments, BIOCHINA2026 will host a dedicated Oligonucleotide Drug Innovation & Development Forum, focusing exclusively on the innovation pathways and development strategies for small nucleic acid therapies. The forum will examine real-world clinical development cases, explore opportunities for indication expansion from rare to more common diseases, and address key CMC and manufacturing considerations. A special session on non-liver-targeted delivery technologies will also be featured.

Speakers will include representatives from CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Innovent Biologics, ViaGen, and other leading companies across China’s oligonucleotide ecosystem, offering insights from both development and commercialization perspectives.

As one of BIOCHINA2026’s focused innovation tracks, the forum is designed to connect global technology trends with China’s rapidly evolving oligonucleotide drug landscape, providing a platform for in-depth discussion on the next wave of breakthroughs in small nucleic acid therapeutics.