China has added 36 " generic " drugs to the National Reimbursable Drugs List ( cap ) 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 price cuts , as inclusion in a health insurance package would 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 drugs .
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.