China NRDL 2024 update: A balancing act of budget, value, and innovation

With 37 percent success rate and 63 percent average price cut for new listings, 2024 NRDL was a tough balancing act with competing priorities, and may very well be a turning point for future years.

The results for the 2024 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) were released on Thanksgiving Day, and the drugs that made it to the final list have much to celebrate indeed.

This is one of the tougher years, as evident from the lower success rate of 37 percent for new listings, compared to 56 percent in the past two years. The average price cut stood at 63 percent, also the highest in recent years.

Several factors were at play: the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) must take precautions to ensure the sustainability of Basic Medical Insurance amid an aging population and a slowing economy. Meanwhile, competition from multinationals and local players intensifies across most of the therapeutic areas, as Chinese biopharma…