What does AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot mean by urging Western drugmakers to move at 'Chinese speed', and what specific examples does he give to illustrate China's competitive edge in pharmaceuticals?

Pascal Soriot means that Western pharmaceutical companies must dramatically accelerate their pace of innovation to avoid being overtaken by Chinese rivals, just as Western automakers were outpaced in electric vehicles. He cites Chinese firms' intense focus on novel technologies such as antibody drug conjugates—which deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells—and cell therapy—where live cells are injected to fight disease—as direct parallels to how Chinese automotive companies concentrated on electric vehicles and batteries while Western firms remained focused on petrol engines.

What growth target has AstraZeneca set for 2030, and how does Soriot justify confidence in achieving it despite recent setbacks like the failure of the heart disease drug Wainua?

AstraZeneca expects to achieve $80bn (£60bn) in annual sales by 2030, up from $59bn in the prior year. Soriot justifies this confidence by stating the company’s drug pipeline is 'unmatched' and emphasizes that failure is inherent in drug development—'Biology is biology'—and that the company must 'accept to fail some of the time' while maintaining momentum toward its long-term targets.

AstraZeneca CEO Urges Western Drugmakers to Move at 'Chinese Speed'

Jul 27, 2026

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot urges Western pharma to accelerate innovation against Chinese rivals, likening the challenge to the automotive industry's EV shift. Despite a recent trial failure, the company targets $80bn annual sales by 2030 while leveraging AI to enhance drug development speed.

theguardian

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