{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Dataset", "id": "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark.json", "name": "East-West Biotech Benchmark (EWBB)", "alternateName": [ "EWBB", "EWBB Lite", "East-West Biotech Benchmark Lite" ], "version": "lite", "edition": "Q4 2026", "as_of": "2026Q3", "published": "2026-11-06", "parity": 50, "definition": "EWBB Lite is a weighted index of selected public biotech indicators, not a share of the entire biotech economy. Each indicator compares activity in the defined East with activity in the defined West; 50 is parity within that comparison.", "summary": "Where is biotech's centre of gravity moving? EWBB Lite is a weighted index of selected public biotech indicators, not a share of the entire biotech economy. Each indicator compares activity in the defined East with activity in the defined West; 50 is parity within that comparison.", "headline": "The East's selected-indicator score has roughly doubled since 2010.", "method_note": "Method update, 6 November 2026: annual comparisons now use the same fixed three-indicator formula as the quarterly series. Earlier annual figures used a different indicator mix.", "scored_indicators": [ { "indicator": "Industry Phase 1–3 trial presence by site region", "weight_pct": 37.5, "source": "ClinicalTrials.gov" }, { "indicator": "Selected FDA approvals by attributed sponsor group", "weight_pct": 37.5, "source": "openFDA Drugs@FDA" }, { "indicator": "Single-region Phase 1 drug/biologic trial-start proxy", "weight_pct": 25.0, "source": "ClinicalTrials.gov" } ], "headlines": { "quarter": { "period": "Q3 2026", "broad_east": 40.5, "china_only": 28.5, "east_ex_china": 25.7, "status": "provisional", "caveat": "Q3 2026 readings are provisional. The FDA indicator relies on the show's own research classification of sponsor groups, which has not yet been reconciled with FDA's official novel-approval lists; figures may change when it is." }, "annual": { "period": "2025", "broad_east": 36.9, "china_only": 28.1, "east_ex_china": 22.1 }, "baseline": { "period": "Q1 2010", "broad_east": 19.9, "china_only": 2.8, "east_ex_china": 18.9 } }, "quarterly": [ { "quarter": "2010Q1", "broad_east": 19.89, "china_only": 2.81, "east_ex_china": 18.87 }, { "quarter": "2010Q2", "broad_east": 18.09, "china_only": 3.02, "east_ex_china": 17.0 }, { "quarter": "2010Q3", "broad_east": 15.16, "china_only": 3.09, "east_ex_china": 14.04 }, { "quarter": "2010Q4", "broad_east": 19.43, "china_only": 3.43, "east_ex_china": 18.15 }, { "quarter": "2011Q1", "broad_east": 19.3, "china_only": 3.53, "east_ex_china": 17.97 }, { "quarter": "2011Q2", "broad_east": 18.97, "china_only": 3.59, "east_ex_china": 17.64 }, { "quarter": "2011Q3", "broad_east": 20.51, "china_only": 3.39, "east_ex_china": 19.22 }, { "quarter": "2011Q4", "broad_east": 17.54, "china_only": 3.32, "east_ex_china": 16.21 }, { "quarter": "2012Q1", "broad_east": 19.18, "china_only": 3.34, "east_ex_china": 17.83 }, { "quarter": "2012Q2", "broad_east": 21.82, "china_only": 3.43, "east_ex_china": 20.43 }, { "quarter": "2012Q3", "broad_east": 22.05, "china_only": 3.87, "east_ex_china": 20.48 }, { "quarter": "2012Q4", "broad_east": 24.43, "china_only": 3.99, "east_ex_china": 22.91 }, { "quarter": "2013Q1", "broad_east": 23.82, "china_only": 3.89, "east_ex_china": 22.36 }, { "quarter": "2013Q2", "broad_east": 22.51, "china_only": 4.1, "east_ex_china": 20.86 }, { "quarter": "2013Q3", "broad_east": 23.2, "china_only": 4.05, "east_ex_china": 21.65 }, { "quarter": "2013Q4", "broad_east": 19.92, "china_only": 3.88, "east_ex_china": 18.35 }, { "quarter": "2014Q1", "broad_east": 18.62, "china_only": 4.26, "east_ex_china": 16.76 }, { "quarter": "2014Q2", "broad_east": 19.51, "china_only": 4.08, "east_ex_china": 17.77 }, { "quarter": "2014Q3", "broad_east": 18.19, "china_only": 4.01, "east_ex_china": 16.36 }, { "quarter": "2014Q4", "broad_east": 17.88, "china_only": 4.23, "east_ex_china": 16.01 }, { "quarter": "2015Q1", "broad_east": 21.0, "china_only": 4.27, "east_ex_china": 19.16 }, { "quarter": "2015Q2", "broad_east": 20.23, "china_only": 4.57, "east_ex_china": 18.14 }, { "quarter": "2015Q3", "broad_east": 22.65, "china_only": 4.79, "east_ex_china": 20.45 }, { "quarter": "2015Q4", "broad_east": 22.48, "china_only": 4.93, "east_ex_china": 20.16 }, { "quarter": "2016Q1", "broad_east": 20.74, "china_only": 4.97, "east_ex_china": 18.3 }, { "quarter": "2016Q2", "broad_east": 21.1, "china_only": 5.38, "east_ex_china": 18.5 }, { "quarter": "2016Q3", "broad_east": 19.77, "china_only": 6.02, "east_ex_china": 16.79 }, { "quarter": "2016Q4", "broad_east": 20.09, "china_only": 7.0, "east_ex_china": 16.49 }, { "quarter": "2017Q1", "broad_east": 19.5, "china_only": 7.72, "east_ex_china": 15.77 }, { "quarter": "2017Q2", "broad_east": 23.49, "china_only": 8.12, "east_ex_china": 19.61 }, { "quarter": "2017Q3", "broad_east": 22.96, "china_only": 8.62, "east_ex_china": 18.77 }, { "quarter": "2017Q4", "broad_east": 22.52, "china_only": 8.65, "east_ex_china": 18.27 }, { "quarter": "2018Q1", "broad_east": 23.37, "china_only": 8.52, "east_ex_china": 19.05 }, { "quarter": "2018Q2", "broad_east": 22.58, "china_only": 8.97, "east_ex_china": 18.02 }, { "quarter": "2018Q3", "broad_east": 24.6, "china_only": 9.71, "east_ex_china": 19.59 }, { "quarter": "2018Q4", "broad_east": 26.29, "china_only": 10.86, "east_ex_china": 20.69 }, { "quarter": "2019Q1", "broad_east": 26.69, "china_only": 11.43, "east_ex_china": 20.98 }, { "quarter": "2019Q2", "broad_east": 26.29, "china_only": 12.61, "east_ex_china": 19.8 }, { "quarter": "2019Q3", "broad_east": 25.86, "china_only": 12.78, "east_ex_china": 19.32 }, { "quarter": "2019Q4", "broad_east": 29.63, "china_only": 13.84, "east_ex_china": 22.35 }, { "quarter": "2020Q1", "broad_east": 28.71, "china_only": 13.97, "east_ex_china": 21.28 }, { "quarter": "2020Q2", "broad_east": 29.38, "china_only": 14.95, "east_ex_china": 21.56 }, { "quarter": "2020Q3", "broad_east": 31.34, "china_only": 15.83, "east_ex_china": 23.3 }, { "quarter": "2020Q4", "broad_east": 29.19, "china_only": 15.36, "east_ex_china": 21.73 }, { "quarter": "2021Q1", "broad_east": 29.89, "china_only": 15.97, "east_ex_china": 22.26 }, { "quarter": "2021Q2", "broad_east": 30.45, "china_only": 15.88, "east_ex_china": 22.82 }, { "quarter": "2021Q3", "broad_east": 29.54, "china_only": 16.76, "east_ex_china": 21.36 }, { "quarter": "2021Q4", "broad_east": 30.99, "china_only": 18.61, "east_ex_china": 21.84 }, { "quarter": "2022Q1", "broad_east": 31.65, "china_only": 19.69, "east_ex_china": 21.67 }, { "quarter": "2022Q2", "broad_east": 31.68, "china_only": 20.36, "east_ex_china": 21.27 }, { "quarter": "2022Q3", "broad_east": 31.93, "china_only": 20.38, "east_ex_china": 21.42 }, { "quarter": "2022Q4", "broad_east": 30.17, "china_only": 19.7, "east_ex_china": 19.98 }, { "quarter": "2023Q1", "broad_east": 31.38, "china_only": 20.55, "east_ex_china": 20.51 }, { "quarter": "2023Q2", "broad_east": 31.68, "china_only": 20.98, "east_ex_china": 20.37 }, { "quarter": "2023Q3", "broad_east": 33.33, "china_only": 22.42, "east_ex_china": 21.38 }, { "quarter": "2023Q4", "broad_east": 34.63, "china_only": 24.31, "east_ex_china": 21.61 }, { "quarter": "2024Q1", "broad_east": 36.76, "china_only": 25.61, "east_ex_china": 23.17 }, { "quarter": "2024Q2", "broad_east": 37.46, "china_only": 26.06, "east_ex_china": 23.79 }, { "quarter": "2024Q3", "broad_east": 36.45, "china_only": 25.89, "east_ex_china": 22.6 }, { "quarter": "2024Q4", "broad_east": 35.62, "china_only": 24.81, "east_ex_china": 22.55 }, { "quarter": "2025Q1", "broad_east": 34.14, "china_only": 23.88, "east_ex_china": 21.76 }, { "quarter": "2025Q2", "broad_east": 35.69, "china_only": 25.34, "east_ex_china": 22.43 }, { "quarter": "2025Q3", "broad_east": 36.36, "china_only": 27.28, "east_ex_china": 21.98 }, { "quarter": "2025Q4", "broad_east": 36.92, "china_only": 28.09, "east_ex_china": 22.09 }, { "quarter": "2026Q1", "broad_east": 37.68, "china_only": 29.27, "east_ex_china": 22.23 }, { "quarter": "2026Q2", "broad_east": 39.03, "china_only": 30.05, "east_ex_china": 23.11 }, { "quarter": "2026Q3", "broad_east": 40.52, "china_only": 28.47, "east_ex_china": 25.69 } ], "annual_method": "Each full-year score is the Q4 trailing-four-quarter reading of the same fixed three-indicator formula used for the quarterly series.", "annual": [ { "year": 2010, "broad_east": 19.43, "china_only": 3.43, "east_ex_china": 18.15 }, { "year": 2011, "broad_east": 17.54, "china_only": 3.32, "east_ex_china": 16.21 }, { "year": 2012, "broad_east": 24.43, "china_only": 3.99, "east_ex_china": 22.91 }, { "year": 2013, "broad_east": 19.92, "china_only": 3.88, "east_ex_china": 18.35 }, { "year": 2014, "broad_east": 17.88, "china_only": 4.23, "east_ex_china": 16.01 }, { "year": 2015, "broad_east": 22.48, "china_only": 4.93, "east_ex_china": 20.16 }, { "year": 2016, "broad_east": 20.09, "china_only": 7.0, "east_ex_china": 16.49 }, { "year": 2017, "broad_east": 22.52, "china_only": 8.65, "east_ex_china": 18.27 }, { "year": 2018, "broad_east": 26.29, "china_only": 10.86, "east_ex_china": 20.69 }, { "year": 2019, "broad_east": 29.63, "china_only": 13.84, "east_ex_china": 22.35 }, { "year": 2020, "broad_east": 29.19, "china_only": 15.36, "east_ex_china": 21.73 }, { "year": 2021, "broad_east": 30.99, "china_only": 18.61, "east_ex_china": 21.84 }, { "year": 2022, "broad_east": 30.17, "china_only": 19.7, "east_ex_china": 19.98 }, { "year": 2023, "broad_east": 34.63, "china_only": 24.31, "east_ex_china": 21.61 }, { "year": 2024, "broad_east": 35.62, "china_only": 24.81, "east_ex_china": 22.55 }, { "year": 2025, "broad_east": 36.92, "china_only": 28.09, "east_ex_china": 22.09 } ], "pillars": [ { "label": "Selected regulator decisions: NMPA + Japan vs FDA + EMA", "value": 58.8, "period": "2025", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "Four agencies only. NMPA count (76) includes traditional Chinese medicines and imported innovative medicines; EMA counts positive recommendations (38), not final approvals. Regulator location is not drug origin; one molecule can count in several jurisdictions.", "numerator": 120, "denominator": 204, "sources": [ "https://www.nhsa.gov.cn/art/2026/1/18/art_14_19392.html", "https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11121000/001673219.pdf", "https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/human-medicines-2025" ] }, { "label": "Single-region Phase 1 drug/biologic trial-start proxy", "value": 55.0, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "ClinicalTrials.gov API v2: industry lead sponsor, interventional, Phase 1, start date in the window, at least one drug, biological or genetic intervention, and every reported site country in one region; cross-region studies and studies without site locations are excluded. Not a count of unique assets, originators or pipeline stock.", "sources": [ "https://clinicaltrials.gov/data-api/api" ] }, { "label": "FDA-registered establishments declaring API manufacture", "value": 53.4, "period": "6 Nov 2026 snapshot", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "Registered site counts on a US-market register (1,312 East vs 1,144 West). Not output, capacity, sales, quality or FDA endorsement.", "numerator": 1312, "denominator": 2456, "sources": [ "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drug-establishments-current-registration-site" ] }, { "label": "Industry Phase 1–3 trial presence by site region", "value": 52.7, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "ClinicalTrials.gov API v2: industry lead sponsor, interventional, Phase 1, 2 or 3 (combined phases included), study start date in the window, at least one site country in the region (2,549 East vs 2,285 West); a cross-region study counts on both sides. No intervention-type filter; phase labels apply mainly to drug and biologic studies. Registry coverage is uneven, especially for China-only studies.", "numerator": 2549, "denominator": 4834, "sources": [ "https://clinicaltrials.gov/data-api/api" ] }, { "label": "S&E doctorates in seven covered countries", "value": 50.1, "period": "2021", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "China, India and South Korea vs United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany (77,785 vs 77,569). All science and engineering fields, not biotech-specific.", "numerator": 77785, "denominator": 155354, "sources": [ "https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/indicators/explorer/download/Oct%202026/S&E%20Doctoral%20Degrees%20by%20Selected%20Country/hed-degrees-intl_data.csv", "https://www.ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20261/table/TAL-19" ] }, { "label": "Nature Index biological-sciences Share", "value": 42.7, "period": "2025", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "Nature Index Share in a selected set of journals; not all life-science output or citation impact.", "sources": [ "https://www.nature.com/nature-index/research-leaders/2026/country/biological-sciences/global" ] }, { "label": "PCT biotech + pharma application field counts", "value": 39.0, "period": "2023", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "OECD PCT application counts by applicant country, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals fields summed; not grants and not deduplicated patent families.", "sources": [ "https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=dsDisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_PATENTS%40DF_PATENTS_OECDSPECIFIC&df[ag]=OECD.STI.PIE&df[vs]=1.0" ] }, { "label": "Selected FDA approvals by attributed sponsor group", "value": 18.6, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "FDA approvals assigned to East or West by a research classification of the sponsor; not verified drug origin or sponsor headquarters at approval. Provisional pending reconciliation with FDA's official novel-approval lists.", "sources": [ "https://open.fda.gov/apis/drug/drugsfda/download/" ] } ], "pillars_caption": "These signals have different coverage and dates. Trial measures use study locations; regulator decisions use agency location, not drug origin. Registered sites are not manufacturing output. See each source and coverage note.", "notes": [ "The two trial-based measures are related. ClinicalTrials.gov has uneven geographic coverage; FDA sponsor attribution is a research classification, not drug-origin verification. This index is descriptive, not an investment or scientific-quality ranking.", "API sites, regulator decisions and trial counts are proxies: registered sites are not output, regulator location is not drug origin, and trial site location is not sponsor origin.", "China only and East ex-China are each calculated against the West with their own denominator, indicator by indicator, before weighting: East/(East+West), China/(China+West), rest of East/(rest of East+West). They do not sum to Broad East.", "ClinicalTrials.gov counts were pulled on 6 November 2026. Start dates and registrations can be revised, so recent quarters may change; the exact API query strings are not yet archived on this page.", "EWBB Lite is a descriptive editorial index built by the show from public data, not a peer-reviewed or third-party-audited benchmark." ], "regions": { "East": "Asia, Australasia and the Middle East, including China, Japan, Korea, India, ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand and Israel", "China only": "Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, measured against the West", "East ex-China": "The rest of the East, measured against the West", "West": "United States, Canada and Europe (excluding Russia and Belarus)" }, "regions_note": "Regions are analytical groupings, not a global partition: Russia, Belarus, the Caucasus, Africa, Latin America and most Pacific islands are excluded. Turkey and Israel are in East; Cyprus is in West. China includes mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.", "region_iso": { "china": [ "CHN", "HKG", "MAC" ], "east_ex_china": [ "AFG", "ARE", "AUS", "BGD", "BHR", "BRN", "BTN", "IDN", "IND", "IRN", "IRQ", "ISR", "JOR", "JPN", "KAZ", "KGZ", "KHM", "KOR", "KWT", "LAO", "LBN", "LKA", "MDV", "MMR", "MNG", "MYS", "NPL", "NZL", "OMN", "PAK", "PHL", "PRK", "PSE", "QAT", "SAU", "SGP", "SYR", "THA", "TJK", "TKM", "TLS", "TUR", "TWN", "UZB", "VNM", "YEM" ], "west": [ "ALB", "AND", "ASM", "AUT", "BEL", "BGR", "BIH", "CAN", "CHE", "CYP", "CZE", "DEU", "DNK", "ESP", "EST", "FIN", "FRA", "FRO", "GBR", "GIB", "GRC", "GRL", "GUM", "HRV", "HUN", "IRL", "ISL", "ITA", "LIE", "LTU", "LUX", "LVA", "MCO", "MDA", "MKD", "MLT", "MNE", "NLD", "NOR", "POL", "PRI", "PRT", "ROU", "SMR", "SRB", "SVK", "SVN", "SWE", "UKR", "USA", "VIR", "XKX" ] }, "sources_intro": "Built from public regulatory, clinical-trial, research and patent databases. Scores are aggregated regional shares; each signal lists its coverage limits.", "sources": [ { "title": "ClinicalTrials.gov API (v2)", "href": "https://clinicaltrials.gov/data-api/api" }, { "title": "openFDA Drugs@FDA", "href": "https://open.fda.gov/apis/drug/drugsfda/download/" }, { "title": "FDA Drug Establishments Current Registration Site", "href": "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drug-establishments-current-registration-site" }, { "title": "EMA human medicines highlights 2025", "href": "https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/human-medicines-2025" }, { "title": "MHLW new active ingredients approved", "href": "https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11121000/001673219.pdf" }, { "title": "NMPA 2025 innovative drug approvals", "href": "https://www.nhsa.gov.cn/art/2026/1/18/art_14_19392.html" }, { "title": "Nature Index Research Leaders", "href": "https://www.nature.com/nature-index/research-leaders/2026/country/biological-sciences/global" }, { "title": "OECD Patents in selected technologies (PCT, biotech + pharma)", "href": "https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=dsDisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_PATENTS%40DF_PATENTS_OECDSPECIFIC&df[ag]=OECD.STI.PIE&df[vs]=1.0" }, { "title": "OECD SDMX dataflow DSD_PATENTS@DF_PATENTS_OECDSPECIFIC", "href": "https://sdmx.oecd.org/public/rest/dataflow/OECD.STI.PIE/DSD_PATENTS@DF_PATENTS_OECDSPECIFIC/1.0" }, { "title": "NCSES S&E doctoral degrees by selected country (CSV)", "href": "https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/indicators/explorer/download/Oct%202026/S&E%20Doctoral%20Degrees%20by%20Selected%20Country/hed-degrees-intl_data.csv" }, { "title": "NCSES Science and Engineering Indicators 2026, table TAL-19", "href": "https://www.ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20261/table/TAL-19" } ], "html": "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark/", "json": "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark.json", "sameAs": [ "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark/" ], "related": [ "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark/", "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark.json" ], "keywords": [ "East-West Biotech Benchmark", "EWBB", "East-West biotech benchmark", "China biotech share", "Asia biotech vs West", "biotech centre of gravity", "East share of biotech", "China only biotech share", "East ex-China biotech", "biotech regional parity", "NMPA EMA FDA biotech approvals share", "ClinicalTrials.gov East West", "China Phase 1 trial share" ], "citation": "East-West Biotech Benchmark (EWBB) Lite, The East-West Bio Brief, https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark/", "measurementTechnique": "Weighted index of selected public biotech indicators, trailing four quarters; not a share of the entire biotech economy. Fixed weights: industry trial presence by site region 37.5%, selected FDA approvals by attributed sponsor group 37.5%, single-region Phase 1 drug/biologic trial-start proxy 25%. Each indicator is East/(East+West); 50 = parity within that comparison. Annual figures are Q4 trailing-four-quarter readings of the same formula.", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "usageInfo": "Personal views of the hosts. Free to cite with a link to https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark/. Not investment advice.", "disclaimer": "Personal views, not investment advice. Aggregated public-source shares." }