Reducing the price of anticancer drugs and entering medical insurance to reduce the burden of patients

[China Pharmaceutical network industry trends] cancer is a common disease all over the world, and also a "killer" of human beings Because of the large population in China, and with the influence of environment and life pressure, the number of cancer patients is increasing Data survey shows that the cancer mortality rate in China has increased by 29% in the past 20 years In this context, the domestic demand for anticancer drugs is expanding In 2018, "I'm not the God of medicine" attracted people's attention on the issue of anti-cancer drugs Relevant departments also took many measures to promote the price reduction of anti-cancer drugs and encourage the development of generic pharmaceutical industry According to the data, in 2018, China approved 18 new anti-cancer drugs, a significant increase compared with 7 in 2017 In terms of varieties, there are 13 new anticancer drugs coming on the market in the near future, and 5 new anticancer drugs independently innovated in China, which enhance patients' drug selection and better meet the clinical needs From the review and approval speed, in 2018, the average review time of new anticancer drugs was shortened from the previous 24 months to 12 months, and the approval speed was significantly accelerated The increasing speed and quantity of anticancer drugs can not be separated from the support of the environment Since 2018, in order to reduce the price of anti-cancer drugs in China, the state has successively issued policies such as zero tariff for anti-cancer drugs, centralized price negotiation and purchase for anti-cancer drugs included in the medical insurance, medical insurance access negotiation for anti-cancer drugs not included in the medical insurance, etc., to promote the price reduction of anti-cancer drugs, further meet the drug demand of patients, and effectively reduce the drug burden of patients Since May 1, 2018, China has decided to implement zero tariff on imported anti-cancer drugs In October 2018, China organized special negotiations on the access of anti-cancer drugs to medical insurance, including 17 kinds of anti-cancer drugs included in the medical insurance, including the national basic medical insurance, work injury insurance and maternity insurance drug catalog The average price reduction of 17 kinds of anti-cancer drugs included in the medical insurance reached 56.7% Through negotiation, the price of most imported drugs is lower than that of neighboring countries and regions, which greatly reduces the burden of drug use for patients According to the data of the medical insurance bureau, by the end of December 2018, the total purchase volume of anticancer drugs negotiated by 17 countries in medical institutions and pharmacies across the country was about 1.84 million tablets / piece, with a total purchase amount of 562 million yuan, saving 918 million yuan compared with the price before the negotiation Patients who have benefited from lymphoma say the cost of ibuprofen, a treatment for lymphoma, has been significantly reduced compared with the previous one "After the national negotiation, the price has been reduced to more than 17000 yuan, and 70% of them are reimbursed I only need to pay more than 5000 yuan Moreover, I still have the reimbursement of serious illness medical insurance and difficult assistance, and the actual payment is less than 1600 yuan." At the same time, with the promotion of the pilot work of "4 + 7" urban drug volume purchase and use, the price of some drugs, including anti-cancer drugs, will be further reduced For example, if the price of gefitinib, a targeted drug for lung cancer treatment, is reduced by 77%, the drug cost burden of lung cancer patients will be greatly reduced In addition, with the promotion of measures such as consistency evaluation and volume purchase, the pharmaceutical market pattern is facing reconstruction Domestic generic pharmaceutical enterprises and innovative pharmaceutical enterprises seize favorable opportunities, while "slimming" and increasing research and development of core products, the competition in the pharmaceutical market will become increasingly fierce For example, recently, Dabusu, a drug for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma, was approved by the State Drug Administration for listing, providing a new immunotherapy mode for some cancer patients such as Hodgkin's lymphoma It is reported that China launched and implemented the major science and technology project of "major new drug creation" in 2008, and a batch of new drugs such as Dabusu were supported by the "new drug project" According to the industry, anticancer drugs, especially some new ones, are very expensive, and the measure to be taken is negotiation It is reported that in 2019, China will also start a new round of medical insurance drug catalog adjustment At that time, through expert review and access negotiation, life-saving drugs and first-aid drugs will be included in the medical insurance, so as to reduce the price of anticancer drugs in the way of quantity for price.