3SBIO (01530.HK) saw its stock price soar by 10.81% during intraday trading on Friday, as innovative drug stocks across the board experienced significant gains. The surge comes as the sector anticipates the 2025 World Lung Cancer Congress (WCLC), scheduled to take place from September 6-9 in Barcelona, Spain.
The upcoming WCLC is expected to be a major catalyst for the innovative drug sector. Multiple leading companies are poised to unveil significant new products during the conference, potentially driving market attention and opening up new development opportunities. This event has sparked a rally in the sector, with other notable gains including HBM HOLDINGS-B rising 6.25%, HUTCHMED climbing 5.81%, and WUXI BIO advancing 5.16%.
Institutional investors are expressing optimism about the valuation recovery potential of innovative drug companies. This positive outlook is supported by several factors, including outstanding performance in innovative drugs and their supply chain as evidenced by 2025 interim results, anticipated data catalysts in the PD-(L)1/VEGF track in the second half of 2025, and expectations of multiple business development deals materializing within the year. Furthermore, Chinese innovative drug companies have seen a significant increase in overseas licensing deals, with License out amounts reaching nearly $80 billion from January to July, representing a year-over-year increase of over 160%. Analysts suggest that this global expansion, coupled with potential improvements in the investment environment, could lead to new industrial breakthroughs and "blockbuster drugs" in the innovative drug sector.