China Medical News

High prices of imported and patent drugs are a great burden for Chinese patients and the country as a whole. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said that some pharmaceutical manufacturers have agreed to lower some drugs' prices on condition of bulk purchase. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will reduce the price of tenofovir disoproxil, a treatment for hepatitis B, from 1500 yuan (229 USD) to 490 yuan per month. Icotinib, an anti-cancer drug made by China's Betta Pharmaceuticals, will be dropped from 12,000 yuan to 5,500 yuan for a month's supply. AstraZeneca will lower the monthly cost for the anti-cancer gefitinib from 15,000 yuan to 7,000 yuan. (Source: Xinhua)