马德里落幕：中国创新药在 ESMO 2026 占了近 1/3 的"压轴"席位，这意味着什么？
10 月 23 日，2026 年欧洲肿瘤内科学会年会（ESMO 2026）在西班牙马德里 IFEMA 会展中心正式启幕。作为全球肿瘤学领域最具影响力的学术会议之一，ESMO 汇聚了来自世界各地的临床医生、研究人员与医药行业代表，交流肿瘤研究与临床实践的最新进展。开幕首日，ESMO 主席 Fabrice André 教授在 Opening Session 发表主席致辞，围绕"凝聚科学研究、医学教育与国际协作力量，持续推动全球癌症诊疗进步"展开分享。
随后的会议日程中，大会通过三场主席专题研讨会集中发布了一系列最新突破性研究摘要（LBA），把全球肿瘤最前沿的进展集中摆上了台面。
对中国药企来说，这一届 ESMO 不是"参加了一下"，而是第一次以近乎主角的姿态站在了压轴席上。
一、先看大会本身：肿瘤前沿的"风向标"指向哪
三场主席专题研讨会集中发布了 12 项最新突破性研究（LBA），覆盖黑色素瘤、肺癌、泌尿生殖系统肿瘤、消化道肿瘤、妇科肿瘤及罕见肿瘤等多个领域。从大会整体信号看，今年全球肿瘤诊疗的前沿焦点集中在几条主线：免疫治疗的迭代（IO 2.0）、ADC（抗体偶联药物）向更多靶点扩展、以及针对特定分子变异的精准靶向——这同时也是跨国药企与中国创新药企共同押注的主航道。
二、中国研究者的"存在感"，写在数字里
据泰格医药大会期间发布的新闻稿，中国研究者团队在本届大会中共有 46 项临床试验研究入选口头报告，研究布局覆盖乳腺癌、肝胆胰肿瘤、头颈部肿瘤及血液肿瘤等主要瘤种；从 III 期注册研究的关键性数据读出，到 ADC 偶联药物、双特异性抗体、CAR-T 细胞治疗等创新机制的早期临床探索，中国原创研究的参与度与贡献度持续提升。
若只看最重磅的"压轴"档——Late-Breaking Abstract（LBA，最新突破性摘要），据行业公开统计，ESMO 2026 全场约 96 项 LBA 中，约 31 项由中国研究者牵头或参与，占比接近 1/3，其中 5 项进入主席研讨会 / 全体大会这种"可能改变临床实践"的最高级别时段。更值得记一笔的结构变化：中国创新药今年有约 46–47 场优选 / 快速口头报告，较 2025 年的 35 场明显上升，入选研究也从过去的 PD-1 单抗扩展数据，转向 ADC、双抗、IO 2.0 这类具备全球原创性的分子平台。
几家代表，看看"破圈"长什么样：
- 恒瑞医药：本届 64 项研究入选（公司历史纪录），覆盖 21 款创新药，HER2 ADC、HER3 ADC 均有 LBA 级别数据读出。
- 百利天恒：核心品种 BL-B01D1（EGFR×HER3 双抗 ADC）两项 III 期研究入选 LBA，并与 BMS 合作开发——"中国分子 + 全球资源"的典型路径。
- 信达生物 / 荣昌生物 等也各有重磅 LBA 或 10+ 项报告。
把视角拉远：2026 年上半年，中国药企达成 81 笔对外授权（license-out）交易，潜在总价值约 1,100 亿美元，超过 2025 全年潜在总额的 80%。
三、一支"隐形"的中国力量：临床开发与合作的连接器
除了台上发声的药企，还有一类中国机构在马德里默默铺路。据泰格医药大会期间发布的新闻稿，其欧洲、中国及多家子公司团队齐聚 ESMO，与全球伙伴围绕肿瘤创新药开发、多区域临床试验（MRCT）与欧美本地化临床运营展开交流，现场接触欧美客户、策划 MRCT 合作。
这件事的意味，比一场卫星会更深：它展示的是中国与欧美在肿瘤研发上的"相向而行"——中国提供分子与临床资源，欧洲提供监管标准与多国研究中心网络，双方不再是"单向出海"的关系，而是面向全球市场的双向互通。对中小出海企业，找到一个能跑通欧美本地化临床运营的伙伴，往往比多融一笔钱更能决定项目生死。
四、三个启示，给正在看出海的人
- 从"跟随"到"首创"，是出海的入场券。 欧洲买家和合作伙伴认的，不再是"便宜的仿制品"，而是"有全球原创性的分子"。研发含金量，直接决定你在欧盟能谈什么价、找什么伙伴。
- license-out 爆发，但"落地"才是真考验。 会议曝光只是第一步——新药还要过监管（EMA/FDA）、市场准入（HTA/报销）、患者可及这三关。我一直强调：欧盟难的关在上市后、在准入，不在实验室。
- 学术舞台是信任锚，不是终点。 在 ESMO 这种顶级会议上有声音，等于给欧洲监管方、支付方、合作方一个"这家公司是真的"的信号。哪怕只是去观展、做一场卫星会、发一篇海报，都是在建信任，而不是等证书下来再行动。
五、一句话收尾
ESMO 2026 最大的信号不是"中国药有多强"，而是"中国药终于被欧盟的学术与产业圈当成了对等玩家"——而且，跟着药一起走向欧洲的，还有中国的临床开发能力。这一步，比任何单一获批都更难、也更值钱。
ESMO 2026 Recap: China Took Nearly 1/3 of Late-Breaking Abstracts
On 23 October 2026, the European Society for Medical Oncology annual congress (ESMO 2026) officially opened at IFEMA in Madrid, Spain. As one of the most influential academic conferences in global oncology, ESMO brings together clinicians, researchers and industry representatives from around the world to exchange the latest progress in cancer research and clinical practice. On the opening day, ESMO President Professor Fabrice André delivered the presidential address in the Opening Session, on "uniting scientific research, medical education and international collaboration to advance global cancer care".
Over the following programme, the congress released a series of latest breakthrough abstracts (LBA) through three Presidential Symposia, putting the world's most cutting-edge oncology progress on the table.
For Chinese pharma, this ESMO was not "just attending" — it was the first time to stand at the closing seat almost as a protagonist.
1. The congress itself: where the oncology frontier points
Three Presidential Symposia released 12 latest breakthrough studies (LBA), spanning melanoma, lung, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, gynaecologic and rare tumours. From the overall signal, this year's global oncology frontier focuses on several threads: the iteration of immunotherapy (IO 2.0), ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) expanding to more targets, and precision targeting of specific molecular alterations — these are also the main channels both multinational and Chinese innovative drug companies are betting on.
2. Chinese researchers' presence, written in numbers
According to a press release from Tigermed during the congress, Chinese research teams had 46 clinical studies selected for oral presentations, covering breast, hepatobiliary-pancreatic, head and neck, and haematologic tumours; from pivotal phase III readouts to early clinical exploration of innovative mechanisms like ADCs, bispecific antibodies and CAR-T, Chinese original research participation and contribution keep rising.
Looking only at the heaviest "closing" tier — Late-Breaking Abstract (LBA): according to public industry statistics, of about 96 LBAs at ESMO 2026, about 31 were led or participated by Chinese researchers, close to one-third, of which 5 entered the Presidential Symposium / Plenary — the highest tier "may change clinical practice". A structural change worth noting: Chinese innovative drugs had about 46–47 preferred / rapid oral presentations this year, up clearly from 35 in 2025; selected studies also shifted from past PD-1 monoclonal antibody extension data to ADCs, bispecifics and IO 2.0 — molecule platforms with global originality.
A few representatives of "breaking out":
- Hengrui: 64 studies selected this year (company record), covering 21 innovative drugs; HER2 ADC and HER3 ADC both had LBA-level readouts.
- Bliss Biopharmaceutical (百利天恒): its core asset BL-B01D1 (EGFR×HER3 bispecific ADC) had two phase III studies selected for LBA, developed with BMS — a typical "Chinese molecule + global resources" path.
- Innovent (信达) / RemeGen (荣昌) and others each had heavy LBAs or 10+ presentations.
Zooming out: in H1 2026, Chinese pharma closed 81 outbound licence (license-out) deals, with total potential value about USD 110 billion, over 80% of the full-year 2025 potential total.
3. An "invisible" Chinese force: the connector of clinical development and cooperation
Besides the pharma voices on stage, another type of Chinese institution paved the way quietly in Madrid. According to Tigermed's congress press release, its Europe, China and subsidiary teams gathered at ESMO, exchanging with global partners on oncology innovative drug development, multi-regional clinical trials (MRCT) and Europe/US localised clinical operations, meeting European and American customers on-site and planning MRCT cooperation.
The significance runs deeper than a satellite event: it shows the "convergence" of China and Europe/US in oncology R&D — China provides molecules and clinical resources, Europe provides regulatory standards and multi-country research centre networks; the two sides are no longer in a "one-way going global" relationship, but two-way interconnection toward the global market. For small and mid-sized going-global companies, finding a partner that can run Europe/US localised clinical operations often decides project life-or-death more than another round of financing.
4. Three lessons for those watching going global
- From "follower" to "originator" is the ticket to going global. European buyers and partners recognise not "cheap generics" but "molecules with global originality". R&D substance directly decides what price you can talk and what partners you can find in the EU.
- The license-out boom, but "landing" is the real test. Conference exposure is only the first step — the new drug still must pass regulation (EMA/FDA), market access (HTA/reimbursement) and patient access. I keep emphasising: the EU's hard gate is post-marketing and access, not the lab.
- The academic stage is a trust anchor, not an endpoint. Having a voice at a top conference like ESMO signals European regulators, payers and partners that "this company is real". Even just visiting, doing a satellite event, or posting a poster builds trust — not waiting for the certificate to act.
5. One line to close
ESMO 2026's biggest signal is not "how strong Chinese drugs are", but that "Chinese drugs are finally treated as peers by the EU's academic and industry circle" — and what walks to Europe with the drugs is also China's clinical development capability. This step is harder and more valuable than any single approval.