Starting January 1, 2024, the Chinese NRDL will add 124 new drugs including 15 drugs for rare diseases, 17 anti-virals including anti-COVID products, 15 drugs for chronic diseases like diabetes, and 23 cancer products. To be eligible to enter the NRDL, almost all of these drug prices were reduced – on average by 61%. China is now focusing more on new unique drugs and rare disease drugs. 24 novel drugs were added as well as 15 drugs for rare diseases like Gaucher’s disease and Myasthenia gravis. The total NRDL now includes close to 3,100 drugs.
China’s NRDL gives drug manufacturers the chance to get reimbursement which will facilitate more patient usage. However, to get on the NRDL, large price reductions are inevitable. Today, a number of Western drug companies including those that make PD-1/L1 inhibitors or antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have decided not to go for NRDL listing.
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Ames Gross
President
Pacific Bridge Medical
Bethesda, MD
www.pacificbridgemedical.comcontact@pacificbridgemedical.com------------------------------