Latest bulk drug procurement includes 65 types of medicines

The 12th round of China's centralized drug procurement program has selected 65 types of medicines, with patients expected to gain access to the drugs at more affordable prices by the end of the year. The program results were released by the National Healthcare Security Administration on Friday evening.

The selected drugs cover a wide range of therapeutic areas, including anti-infectives, oncology, treatments for blood clots, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, rheumatology and immunology, as well as anti-inflammatory and pain relief therapies.

Under the program, drug manufacturers offer price reductions in exchange for large-volume supply contracts with public hospitals. The bidding for the latest round took place in Shanghai on Friday.

According to the preliminary list of bidding results, 45,000 medical institutions submitted procurement demands, and a total of 521 products from 327 drugmakers secured winning bids.

The administration said that the procurement process prioritized products from drugmakers with strong clinical recognition, reliable quality, and assured supply capabilities, encompassing both domestic and international companies.

The program also emphasized rational industry competition. On average, each drug type drew 15 bidders, while the most competitive variety attracted as many as 49 companies.

The administration said selected drugs are prohibited from being downgraded or having their packaging altered during the required procurement period.

In addition, overseas generic drug manufacturers are now required to submit proof of compliance with Chinese drug regulatory standards.

To improve access to lower-cost medicines at the grassroots level, the administration has also encouraged small primary care institutions to form consortia for joint procurement volume submissions.

Since the centralized procurement program was launched in 2018, China has organized 12 rounds of procurement, covering a total of 555 types of medicines.