Favorable policies increase access to medicines and spur innovation

China's favorable policies in accelerating drug access and encouraging innovation over the past few years have promoted the research and development of new medicines, helping build a healthy drug ecology in the country, a senior executive of Gilead Sciences Inc said.

The California-based biopharmaceutical firm got approval of seven innovative medicines from the National Medical Products Administration within two years－an unexpectedly good result for international biopharmaceutical firms.

"During the past three years, China experienced substantial changes in drug access, which greatly stimulated the R&D process of new medicines," said Rogers Luo, vice-president of Gilead and general manager of Gilead China.