Explained: How China’s Public Payer Wants To Define Innovative Drugs

China’s public payer perceives innovative drugs in a different way from that of the country’s top drug regulator, a former senior healthcare security official with knowledge of the matter revealed during a recent industry event. The disclosure has unnerved pharma companies, which have been hit by sharp drug price discounts that were required by the public payer in exchange for reimbursement coverage.  

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China's public payer is attempting to define innovation in drug development while capping innovative drug prices. • Source: Shutterstock

China’s public payer, the National Basic Medical Insurance Fund, is putting forward its own definition for innovative drugs, in a bid to raise the bar higher than what industry is currently complying with.

While signs of the bold move by the country’s single biggest payer first appeared in the form of an industry-friendly policy proposal in early February(Also see "China’s Public Payer...

Key Takeaways
  • China's public payer proposes a new definition for innovative chemical drugs, highlighting different therapeutic mechanism and chemical structure, as well as specific and...

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