ASCO 2026: Chinese firms take a front seat in oncology, with Li Mao and Giovanni Selvaggi

This year, the transformation of China’s biotech and pharma industry into a dominant global player has only accelerated. Increasingly, US and Chinese companies are working together to harness the best of both markets.

China’s Betta Pharmaceuticals and Miami-based Xcovery have been working together for nearly a decade on X-396, a next-generation ALK inhibitor in lung cancer. As ASCO 2026, pharmaphorum’s Jonah Comstock caught up with Dr Li Mao, president of R&D and chief medical officer at Betta Pharmaceuticals and Dr Giovanni Selvaggi, chief medical officer of Xcovery holdings, to talk about their partnership and how the biopharma landscape in China has changed over the years.

The two discuss why the Chinese biotech scene has evolved from fast followers to novel therapies and how growth in China is making up for some of the challenges faced by US biotechs these days.

They also give an overview of some of the recent and upcoming data the company has shared and discuss some of the trends they’re observing at ASCO, including the growth of different treatment modalities, the importance of precision medicine, and the need for regulatory frameworks to keep pace with the blistering speed of innovation in cancer care.

Check out the full interview below.