{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Dataset", "id": "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark.json", "name": "East-West Medtech Benchmark (EWMB)", "alternateName": [ "EWMB", "EWMB Lite", "East-West Medtech Benchmark Lite" ], "version": "lite", "edition": "Q4 2026", "as_of": "2026Q3", "published": "2026-11-06", "parity": 50, "definition": "EWMB Lite is a weighted index of selected public medtech indicators (devices, diagnostics and digital health), not a share of the entire medtech economy. Each indicator compares activity in the defined East with activity in the defined West; 50 is parity within that comparison. Therapeutics stay in the biotech benchmark (EWBB).", "summary": "Where is medtech's centre of gravity moving? EWMB Lite is a weighted index of selected public medtech indicators (devices, diagnostics and digital health), not a share of the entire medtech economy. Each indicator compares the defined East with the defined West; 50 is parity within that comparison.", "headline": "The East's selected-indicator score has roughly doubled since 2010, but medtech remains well below parity.", "callout": { "lead": "Medtech sits well below biotech on these indices.", "body": "Biotech Lite's Broad East reading is 40.5 for Q3 2026 (provisional). Both indices are built the same way, East/(East+West) with 50 = parity, but from different indicators and weights, so the gap is directional rather than like-for-like. In medtech the East's highest reading is research-paper volume; FDA 510(k) decisions and FDA novel devices are mostly from West-based applicants." }, "method_note": "Wording update, 6 November 2026: page copy now describes EWMB Lite as a selected-indicator index and states each indicator's coverage and period. No scores changed.", "scored_indicators": [ { "indicator": "Industry device and diagnostic trial presence by site region", "weight_pct": 36.4, "source": "ClinicalTrials.gov" }, { "indicator": "FDA 510(k) decisions by applicant country", "weight_pct": 27.3, "source": "openFDA device 510(k)" }, { "indicator": "Single-region industry device and diagnostic trial starts", "weight_pct": 18.2, "source": "ClinicalTrials.gov" }, { "indicator": "FDA novel devices (De Novo + original PMA) by applicant country", "weight_pct": 18.2, "source": "openFDA device 510(k) and PMA" } ], "headlines": { "quarter": { "period": "Q3 2026", "broad_east": 21.8, "china_only": 11.6, "east_ex_china": 13.4, "caveat": "Quarterly scores use four trial and FDA indicators; annual scores use a broader, year-varying mix, so the two are not directly comparable. See Annual scores." }, "annual": { "period": "2025", "broad_east": 27.8, "china_only": 14.9, "east_ex_china": 19.7 }, "baseline": { "period": "Q1 2010", "broad_east": 10.7, "china_only": 2.2, "east_ex_china": 9.1 } }, "quarterly": [ { "quarter": "2010Q1", "broad_east": 10.73, "china_only": 2.2, "east_ex_china": 9.07 }, { "quarter": "2010Q2", "broad_east": 11.23, "china_only": 2.07, "east_ex_china": 9.7 }, { "quarter": "2010Q3", "broad_east": 12.34, "china_only": 2.39, "east_ex_china": 10.6 }, { "quarter": "2010Q4", "broad_east": 11.81, "china_only": 2.56, "east_ex_china": 9.84 }, { "quarter": "2011Q1", "broad_east": 13.26, "china_only": 3.25, "east_ex_china": 10.74 }, { "quarter": "2011Q2", "broad_east": 12.78, "china_only": 3.42, "east_ex_china": 10.18 }, { "quarter": "2011Q3", "broad_east": 12.73, "china_only": 3.55, "east_ex_china": 10.18 }, { "quarter": "2011Q4", "broad_east": 13.67, "china_only": 3.78, "east_ex_china": 11.15 }, { "quarter": "2012Q1", "broad_east": 11.92, "china_only": 2.94, "east_ex_china": 10.07 }, { "quarter": "2012Q2", "broad_east": 11.7, "china_only": 2.59, "east_ex_china": 10.05 }, { "quarter": "2012Q3", "broad_east": 11.38, "china_only": 2.22, "east_ex_china": 9.9 }, { "quarter": "2012Q4", "broad_east": 11.66, "china_only": 2.24, "east_ex_china": 10.18 }, { "quarter": "2013Q1", "broad_east": 12.91, "china_only": 2.77, "east_ex_china": 11.18 }, { "quarter": "2013Q2", "broad_east": 13.34, "china_only": 3.12, "east_ex_china": 11.33 }, { "quarter": "2013Q3", "broad_east": 13.38, "china_only": 3.32, "east_ex_china": 11.14 }, { "quarter": "2013Q4", "broad_east": 12.66, "china_only": 3.59, "east_ex_china": 10.17 }, { "quarter": "2014Q1", "broad_east": 13.66, "china_only": 4.2, "east_ex_china": 10.51 }, { "quarter": "2014Q2", "broad_east": 13.69, "china_only": 4.61, "east_ex_china": 10.29 }, { "quarter": "2014Q3", "broad_east": 13.61, "china_only": 4.77, "east_ex_china": 10.05 }, { "quarter": "2014Q4", "broad_east": 13.96, "china_only": 4.86, "east_ex_china": 10.29 }, { "quarter": "2015Q1", "broad_east": 12.46, "china_only": 3.96, "east_ex_china": 9.51 }, { "quarter": "2015Q2", "broad_east": 13.42, "china_only": 4.13, "east_ex_china": 10.31 }, { "quarter": "2015Q3", "broad_east": 14.34, "china_only": 4.26, "east_ex_china": 11.35 }, { "quarter": "2015Q4", "broad_east": 14.73, "china_only": 4.51, "east_ex_china": 11.51 }, { "quarter": "2016Q1", "broad_east": 15.75, "china_only": 4.98, "east_ex_china": 12.19 }, { "quarter": "2016Q2", "broad_east": 15.46, "china_only": 4.72, "east_ex_china": 12.16 }, { "quarter": "2016Q3", "broad_east": 15.87, "china_only": 4.81, "east_ex_china": 12.42 }, { "quarter": "2016Q4", "broad_east": 16.14, "china_only": 4.72, "east_ex_china": 12.83 }, { "quarter": "2017Q1", "broad_east": 16.34, "china_only": 4.47, "east_ex_china": 13.23 }, { "quarter": "2017Q2", "broad_east": 16.92, "china_only": 4.52, "east_ex_china": 13.76 }, { "quarter": "2017Q3", "broad_east": 16.65, "china_only": 5.08, "east_ex_china": 13.06 }, { "quarter": "2017Q4", "broad_east": 16.9, "china_only": 5.64, "east_ex_china": 12.9 }, { "quarter": "2018Q1", "broad_east": 16.89, "china_only": 6.0, "east_ex_china": 12.65 }, { "quarter": "2018Q2", "broad_east": 16.87, "china_only": 6.57, "east_ex_china": 12.15 }, { "quarter": "2018Q3", "broad_east": 16.54, "china_only": 6.04, "east_ex_china": 12.18 }, { "quarter": "2018Q4", "broad_east": 16.02, "china_only": 5.51, "east_ex_china": 12.11 }, { "quarter": "2019Q1", "broad_east": 16.02, "china_only": 5.98, "east_ex_china": 11.72 }, { "quarter": "2019Q2", "broad_east": 15.84, "china_only": 5.57, "east_ex_china": 11.85 }, { "quarter": "2019Q3", "broad_east": 15.46, "china_only": 5.6, "east_ex_china": 11.47 }, { "quarter": "2019Q4", "broad_east": 15.6, "china_only": 5.8, "east_ex_china": 11.4 }, { "quarter": "2020Q1", "broad_east": 15.3, "china_only": 4.95, "east_ex_china": 11.73 }, { "quarter": "2020Q2", "broad_east": 14.95, "china_only": 5.21, "east_ex_china": 11.28 }, { "quarter": "2020Q3", "broad_east": 16.11, "china_only": 5.96, "east_ex_china": 11.91 }, { "quarter": "2020Q4", "broad_east": 17.02, "china_only": 6.21, "east_ex_china": 12.68 }, { "quarter": "2021Q1", "broad_east": 18.9, "china_only": 8.24, "east_ex_china": 13.08 }, { "quarter": "2021Q2", "broad_east": 20.0, "china_only": 9.42, "east_ex_china": 13.31 }, { "quarter": "2021Q3", "broad_east": 21.47, "china_only": 10.41, "east_ex_china": 14.13 }, { "quarter": "2021Q4", "broad_east": 23.27, "china_only": 12.36, "east_ex_china": 14.52 }, { "quarter": "2022Q1", "broad_east": 23.27, "china_only": 12.31, "east_ex_china": 14.68 }, { "quarter": "2022Q2", "broad_east": 22.78, "china_only": 11.75, "east_ex_china": 14.64 }, { "quarter": "2022Q3", "broad_east": 22.39, "china_only": 11.54, "east_ex_china": 14.48 }, { "quarter": "2022Q4", "broad_east": 22.14, "china_only": 11.41, "east_ex_china": 14.39 }, { "quarter": "2023Q1", "broad_east": 22.91, "china_only": 11.45, "east_ex_china": 15.15 }, { "quarter": "2023Q2", "broad_east": 23.42, "china_only": 11.45, "east_ex_china": 15.73 }, { "quarter": "2023Q3", "broad_east": 23.39, "china_only": 11.24, "east_ex_china": 15.69 }, { "quarter": "2023Q4", "broad_east": 22.07, "china_only": 10.3, "east_ex_china": 15.0 }, { "quarter": "2024Q1", "broad_east": 21.75, "china_only": 9.95, "east_ex_china": 14.9 }, { "quarter": "2024Q2", "broad_east": 22.36, "china_only": 10.35, "east_ex_china": 15.17 }, { "quarter": "2024Q3", "broad_east": 23.07, "china_only": 10.61, "east_ex_china": 15.88 }, { "quarter": "2024Q4", "broad_east": 23.25, "china_only": 10.37, "east_ex_china": 16.26 }, { "quarter": "2025Q1", "broad_east": 22.82, "china_only": 10.4, "east_ex_china": 15.9 }, { "quarter": "2025Q2", "broad_east": 22.37, "china_only": 10.18, "east_ex_china": 15.6 }, { "quarter": "2025Q3", "broad_east": 21.15, "china_only": 10.08, "east_ex_china": 14.34 }, { "quarter": "2025Q4", "broad_east": 21.73, "china_only": 10.09, "east_ex_china": 14.73 }, { "quarter": "2026Q1", "broad_east": 21.14, "china_only": 10.06, "east_ex_china": 14.01 }, { "quarter": "2026Q2", "broad_east": 21.49, "china_only": 11.12, "east_ex_china": 13.46 }, { "quarter": "2026Q3", "broad_east": 21.8, "china_only": 11.55, "east_ex_china": 13.39 } ], "annual_method": "Each full-year score is a weighted mean of the calendar-year indicators available that year (weights: trial presence 20, single-region trial starts 10, FDA 510(k) 15, FDA novel devices 10, PCT medical-technology applications 10, research papers 10, device exports 10, S&E PhDs 5), re-scaled to the indicators present. The mix changes by year: 2025 uses five indicators (the four quarterly ones plus research papers). Annual scores are therefore not the quarterly formula, and year-to-year moves partly reflect which indicators are available. Registered manufacturing sites are not scored.", "annual": [ { "year": 2010, "broad_east": 17.77, "china_only": 5.54, "east_ex_china": 14.33 }, { "year": 2011, "broad_east": 19.81, "china_only": 6.72, "east_ex_china": 15.96 }, { "year": 2012, "broad_east": 18.63, "china_only": 5.5, "east_ex_china": 15.66 }, { "year": 2013, "broad_east": 19.8, "china_only": 6.87, "east_ex_china": 15.94 }, { "year": 2014, "broad_east": 20.55, "china_only": 7.76, "east_ex_china": 15.86 }, { "year": 2015, "broad_east": 22.89, "china_only": 8.89, "east_ex_china": 17.6 }, { "year": 2016, "broad_east": 24.04, "china_only": 9.3, "east_ex_china": 18.64 }, { "year": 2017, "broad_east": 24.91, "china_only": 10.29, "east_ex_china": 18.98 }, { "year": 2018, "broad_east": 24.79, "china_only": 10.58, "east_ex_china": 18.84 }, { "year": 2019, "broad_east": 24.9, "china_only": 11.19, "east_ex_china": 18.58 }, { "year": 2020, "broad_east": 26.2, "china_only": 12.21, "east_ex_china": 19.25 }, { "year": 2021, "broad_east": 30.51, "china_only": 16.6, "east_ex_china": 20.73 }, { "year": 2022, "broad_east": 28.86, "china_only": 15.21, "east_ex_china": 20.28 }, { "year": 2023, "broad_east": 28.71, "china_only": 14.35, "east_ex_china": 20.68 }, { "year": 2024, "broad_east": 28.33, "china_only": 14.29, "east_ex_china": 20.38 }, { "year": 2025, "broad_east": 27.84, "china_only": 14.86, "east_ex_china": 19.73 } ], "pillars_intro": "Broad East share, %, latest available period for each measure. Only the four measures marked as scored feed the quarterly headline index; the rest are context (some enter annual scores in years with data). NMPA innovative-device figures are not included.", "pillars": [ { "label": "Biomedical-engineering and health-informatics papers", "value": 61.4, "period": "2025", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "OpenAlex works whose primary topic is biomedical engineering or health informatics, counted once per author country (a multi-country paper counts on both sides). Paper volume, not quality or citation impact.", "sources": [ "https://docs.openalex.org/" ] }, { "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. All science and engineering fields, not medtech-specific.", "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": "FDA-registered device manufacturing establishments", "value": 48.4, "period": "Nov 2026 snapshot", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "Active FY2026 FDA device establishment registrations listing medical-device manufacture (6,622 East vs 7,067 West), openFDA data as of 2 Nov 2026. Site counts on a US-market register, not output, capacity, sales, quality or FDA endorsement.", "numerator": 6622, "denominator": 13689, "sources": [ "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/registrationlisting/" ] }, { "label": "PCT medical-technology patent applications", "value": 40.1, "period": "2023", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "OECD counts of PCT applications in the medical-technology field by applicant country and application date; 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": "FDA 510(k) decisions by applicant country", "value": 32.6, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "510(k) decisions dated in the window, by the applicant country recorded in openFDA (1,067 East vs 2,211 West); De Novo excluded. Applicant address on a US filing, not company origin or global market share.", "numerator": 1067, "denominator": 3278, "sources": [ "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/510k/" ] }, { "label": "Medical-device exports", "value": 24.0, "period": "2024", "in_headline_score": false, "coverage": "UN Comtrade export value to the world, HS 9018, 9019, 9021 and 9022. Intra-EU trade inflates the West; Hong Kong and Macau re-exports are excluded.", "sources": [ "https://comtradeplus.un.org/" ] }, { "label": "Industry device and diagnostic trial presence by site region", "value": 21.9, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "Industry-sponsored interventional device or diagnostic-test studies starting in the window with at least one site in each region (199 East vs 708 West); a cross-region study can count on both sides. ClinicalTrials.gov understates China.", "numerator": 199, "denominator": 907, "sources": [ "https://clinicaltrials.gov/data-api/api" ] }, { "label": "Single-region industry device and diagnostic trial starts", "value": 19.7, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "The same studies, counted only when every reported site is in one region (165 East vs 674 West); cross-region studies are excluded.", "numerator": 165, "denominator": 839, "sources": [ "https://clinicaltrials.gov/data-api/api" ] }, { "label": "FDA novel devices (De Novo + original PMA)", "value": 7.5, "period": "1 Oct 2025–30 Sep 2026", "window_start": "2025-10-01", "window_end": "2026-09-30", "in_headline_score": true, "coverage": "De Novo decisions by applicant country plus original PMA approvals assigned by a hand check of applicant addresses; unclear PMA applicants default to West, which is conservative for the East. Very small numbers (6 East vs 74 West).", "numerator": 6, "denominator": 80, "sources": [ "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/510k/", "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/pma/" ] } ], "pillars_caption": "These signals have different coverage and dates. Research-paper volume is above parity, and registered manufacturing sites and S&E PhDs are near it; trial presence, FDA 510(k) decisions and FDA novel devices are mostly West-based. Paper counts are volume, not quality; registered sites are not output.", "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)", "Medtech": "Medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health and care-delivery technology. Drugs and biologics are covered by the biotech benchmark." }, "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 (Hong Kong and Macau re-exports are excluded from the trade signal).", "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" ] }, "notes": [ "All measures are proxies: trial counts use reported site locations, not sponsor origin; FDA measures use applicant country on US filings, not company origin or global market share; registered sites are not output, capacity or quality.", "ClinicalTrials.gov understates China: ChiCTR and most NMPA-only studies are not included. Trial filters: industry lead sponsor, interventional, device or diagnostic-test intervention, start date in the window. Start dates and registrations can be revised, so recent quarters may change; exact query strings are not yet archived on this page.", "FDA novel-device counts are very small (6 East vs 74 West in the latest window), so that signal can swing sharply year to year.", "Research papers are OpenAlex volume in biomedical engineering and health informatics, not quality-weighted.", "UN Comtrade device exports include intra-EU trade, which inflates the West.", "Science and engineering PhDs cover all fields in seven countries and are not medtech-specific.", "China NMPA innovative-device approvals are not in any score, including Broad East, because that pathway is not comparable with FDA novel devices.", "China only and East ex-China are each calculated against the West with their own denominator, indicator by indicator, before weighting. They do not sum to Broad East.", "EWMB Lite is a descriptive editorial index built by the show from public data, not a peer-reviewed or third-party-audited benchmark, and not an investment or quality ranking." ], "sources_intro": "Built from public regulatory, clinical-trial, research, patent and trade 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 device 510(k) (includes De Novo)", "href": "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/510k/" }, { "title": "openFDA device PMA", "href": "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/pma/" }, { "title": "openFDA device registrations and listings", "href": "https://open.fda.gov/apis/device/registrationlisting/" }, { "title": "OECD Patents in selected technologies (PCT, medical technology)", "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": "OpenAlex works API", "href": "https://docs.openalex.org/" }, { "title": "UN Comtrade", "href": "https://comtradeplus.un.org/" }, { "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/medtech-benchmark/", "json": "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark.json", "sameAs": [ "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark/" ], "related": [ "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark/", "https://eastwestbiobrief.com/benchmark.json" ], "keywords": [ "East-West Medtech Benchmark", "EWMB", "EWMB Lite", "East-West medtech benchmark", "medtech centre of gravity", "China medtech share", "Asia medical devices vs West", "device diagnostics digital health East West", "FDA 510(k) East share", "ClinicalTrials.gov device trials East West", "East share of medtech", "China only medtech share", "East ex-China medtech" ], "citation": "East-West Medtech Benchmark (EWMB) Lite, The East-West Bio Brief, https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark/", "measurementTechnique": "Weighted index of selected public medtech indicators (devices, diagnostics, digital health), trailing four quarters; not a share of the entire medtech economy. Fixed quarterly weights: industry device/diagnostic trial presence by site region 36.4%, FDA 510(k) decisions by applicant country 27.3%, single-region device/diagnostic trial starts 18.2%, FDA novel devices (De Novo + original PMA) 18.2%. Each indicator is East/(East+West); 50 = parity within that comparison. Annual scores are a re-weighted mean of the calendar-year indicators available that year (mix varies by year), so they are not the quarterly formula.", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "usageInfo": "Personal views of the hosts. Free to cite with a link to https://eastwestbiobrief.com/medtech-benchmark/. Not investment advice.", "disclaimer": "Personal views, not investment advice. Aggregated public-source shares." }