How Chinese drug makers are tackling Western dominance in US$16 billion Parkinson’s race

Chinese biomedical companies deploying cutting-edge technologies are emerging as serious competitors to Western dominance in the race to treat Parkinson’s disease, in a market that could reach US$16 billion over the next decade.

The firms are developing a range of approaches – from autologous cell therapies made from a patient’s own cells and ready-made cell products to gene therapies and non-invasive ultrasounds – although many of these candidates are still in early-stage trials.

Many patients with Parkinson’s disease need to take levodopa – a drug first developed in the 1960s – and other medications that alleviate the symptoms but do not halt the disease’s progression, and whose effectiveness diminishes over time, according to the American Parkinson Disease Association and a 2025 study by the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Now Chinese drug makers are making breakthroughs, clearing significant regulatory and clinical hurdles.

The latest example is Shanghai start-up UniXell Biotechnology, which received clinical trial approval in China in 2024 and the US in 2025 for UX‑DA001, an autologous stem cell therapy that uses a patient’s own cells to replace the dopamine‑producing neurons destroyed by Parkinson’s disease.

Founded in 2021, UniXell has raised more than 300 million yuan (US$44 million) from A and A-plus financing rounds that drew support from state-backed funds, venture capital and pharmaceutical investor Tasly Pharmaceutical, the company announced in February.

South China Morning Post