Approval of 139 new drugs eases access to affordable medication

China has created and approved 139 new drugs to treat difficult illnesses such as tumors, HIV and diabetes since 2008, giving more patients greater access to affordable and effective medication, officials said on Wednesday.

Of the certified new drugs, 44 are Class 1 new drugs - innovative medicine containing new chemical substances with clinical value that have never been marketed before.

Some prominent examples include Albuvirtide, China's first and the world's second HIV inhibitor that entered the Chinese market last year, and Carrimycin, the world's first antibiotic created using synthetic biology that can be used in clinical treatments.