China has added 36 "blockbuster" drugs to the National Reimbursable Drugs List (NRDL) in exchange for price cuts of up to 70%. The list is used by health authorities and pharmaceutical companies as a benchmark against which they can negotiate lower prices with drug companies. The government aims to reduce the expense of publicly sanctioned medicine, thereby decreasing the number of citizens using dangerous, unregulated grey market products.
China has added 36 "blockbuster" drugs to the National Reimbursable Drugs List (NRDL) in exchange for price cuts of up to 70%. Dozens of top patented western drugs from multinationals like Roche, GSK and AstraZeneca were part of the cost cutting, as inclusion in a state insurance scheme can drastically boost sales. The government aims to reduce the expense of publicly sanctioned medicine, thereby decreasing the number of citizens using dangerous, unregulated grey market products.