The use of R in the pharmaceutical industry has shifted from exploratory research to a robust standard for regulatory submission. In 2025, the China Pharmaceutical R User Group (PharmaRUG) exemplified this transformation, hosting a series of dynamic events that connected local developers with the global R community. As the R Consortium continues to support the worldwide community of users and developers, the China PharmaRUG’s activities this year highlight how open-source collaboration is reshaping clinical reporting,.
Here are three pivotal moments from the China PharmaRUG in 2025 that showcased technical innovation and strategic foresight.
1. The 3rd PharmaRUG Conference: Innovation in Hybrid Format (March 2025)
In March, the community gathered for the 3rd China Pharmaceutical Industry R User Group Meeting. True to the spirit of inclusivity, this was a hybrid event with on-site locations at the Johnson & Johnson campus in Shanghai and the Sanofi campus in Beijing, alongside an online broadcast.
This meeting went beyond standard presentations and focused on overcoming technical hurdles in modern clinical trials. Highlights included:
• AI and R Integration: Speakers from Boehringer Ingelheim demonstrated how to integrate AI coding assistants with R, comparing tools like gptstudio and btw to enhance workflow efficiency.
• Serverless Analysis: Kaiping Yang from BeOne showcased a novel approach using Vue and webR to perform serverless local statistical analysis directly in a browser, proving that R applications can be both lightweight and highly responsive.
• Open Source Education: The event also featured deep dives into package validation and design, such as Daniel Sabanés Bové’s (RCONIS) presentation on rpact and crmPack for designing clinical trials.
The diversity of topics—ranging from AI-generated ADaM datasets to easeP21 for validation—demonstrated that the local community is not just adopting R, but actively pushing the boundaries of what the language can do in a regulated environment.
2. Global Connection: R in Pharma APAC Track (November 2025)
In November, the PharmaRUG played a crucial role in the R/Pharma 2025 conference by organizing the APAC Track. While the conference was virtually accessible to anyone in the Asia-Pacific time zone, the community emphasized face-to-face connection through local hubs.
The Shanghai gathering, hosted at the Johnson & Johnson office, served as a physical anchor for the virtual track. This event featured keynotes and over 18 regular presentations covering reporting, prediction, and AI. It was a testament to the “multiverse” concept often discussed in the industry—where end-to-end clinical reporting moves away from legacy systems toward a diverse ecosystem of open-source tools. By aligning with the global R/Pharma schedule, the China PharmaRUG ensured that local innovations were shared on a global stage, reinforcing the R Consortium’s mission to foster international collaboration.
3. Strategic Foundations: The December 4th Gathering
The year concluded with a targeted small-group gathering on December 4th, focused on high-level strategy and future pilots. While the larger conferences focused on “showing,” this meeting focused on “planning” for the complex regulatory landscape ahead.
Key takeaways from this strategic session included:
• Regulatory Validation: The group discussed the differences between FDA and CDE submission requirements. With data and system requirements tightening, the group recognized the urgent need for robust validation frameworks.
• Synthetic Data Pilot: A major proposal from the meeting was to pilot an end-to-end submission using synthetic data to both the FDA and CDE. This initiative aims to test the waters for future submissions without risking proprietary clinical data.
• AI Governance: As AI tools become more prevalent, the group discussed building error detection systems and scoring models to validate AI outputs, ensuring that the “black box” of AI remains compliant with pharmaceutical standards.
Join the Movement
The transition from legacy software to R is well underway, with major players and local biotechs alike embracing the language. The China PharmaRUG is supported by the R Consortium’s RUGS program, which provides grants to help groups organize and share information worldwide.