Anti-cancer drugs more accessible for clinical use in China

A staff member manages drugs at the pharmacy of the second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Hospitals in China saw a 15 percent increase in 2020 in the variety of anti-cancer drugs with negotiated price cuts compared with 2019.

The data was based on results from a monitoring network that covers more than 1,400 hospitals across China, Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference on Monday.

In 2018, 17 anti-cancer drugs were included in China's medical insurance reimbursement list, with their prices cut by 56.7 percent on average after a round of price negotiations between the National Healthcare Security Administration and pharmaceutical companies.

The hospitals under the monitoring network purchased 450.8 percent more of the 17 anti-cancer drugs on average in 2020 than in 2018, Guo said, adding that the accessibility of anti-cancer drugs for clinical use has increased.