Over 60 rare-disease drugs approved for Chinese market

BEIJING -- More than 60 rare-disease drugs have been approved for marketing in China, of which over 40 are included in the national medical insurance system, according to official data.

China's medicare reimbursement list now covers medications for 25 rare diseases, according to figures released at a national conference on rare diseases held in Beijing on Saturday.

Seven rare-disease drugs have been added to the list in 2021, bringing their price down by about 65 percent on average, Li Tao, an official with the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), said at the conference.

Official data shows that there are about 20 million rare-disease patients in China, with more than 200,000 new patients added every year.

According to Chen Shifei, deputy head of the National Medical Products Administration, drugs for rare disease prevention and treatment have been given priority in China's review and approval process for new medications.

A total of 507 new medications have been added to the national medical insurance catalog since the inauguration of the NHSA in 2018, bringing the total to 2,860.