Guideline promotes pharma innovation

Measure also makes R&D process, risk more manageable, expands coffers

China has adopted a guideline to promote the development and availability of innovative drugs, with price management improvements, medical insurance payments, commercial insurance coverage, as well as investment and financing topping the work agenda.

Addressing the bottlenecks of pricing, payments and the dominance of incremental innovation are crucial steps for China to unlock the full potential of its pharmaceutical sector, analysts said, calling for the introduction of specific policy measures at an early date.

The National Medical Products Administration has granted approvals for a total of 82 innovative drugs and 138 innovative medical devices from 2022 through the end of May this year. Notably, in the first five months alone, 20 innovative drugs and 21 innovative medical devices have received regulatory clearance.