China’s 5th Round of VBP Officially Covers 60 Drugs, 202 Specifications, Says Joint Procurement Office Notice

BEIJING, China – The Joint Procurement Office (JPO) has released a notice that it is currently collecting relevant drug information, including on companies and their certifications, for China’s fifth round of volume-based procurement, which according to the announcement will cover 60 drugs for 202 product specifications.

Products that are eligible to participate in the 5^{Roberto现任美国商会医疗保健委员会副主席, 也是青年总裁组织 (YPO) 成员，拥有清华大学/欧洲工商管理学院 (INSEAD) 的 EMBA 学位、南加州大学的 MBA 学位和加州大学河滨分校的理学学士学位。”} round of VBP must be domestically-marketed drugs with valid approval documentation, and are originator drugs or reference formulations that passed generic quality and clinical evaluation (GQCE), drugs that passed GQCE, generics approved under the new chemical registration classification, or drug products list on the China Marketed Drug Formulary.

The drugs up for grabs in round five include, in varying formulations: Omega-3 fish oil, Alfacalcidol, Aripiprazole, Esomeprazole, Olopatadine, Oxaliplatin, Benazepril, Bepotastine, Cisatracurium besylate, Bicalutamide, Dabigatran etexilate, Isosorbide mononitrate, Decitabine, Iohexol, Iodixanol, Dutasteride, Docetaxel, Fasudil, Glipizide, Glycopyrrate, Ganciclovir, Potassium sodium hydrogen citrate, Gemcitabine, Carbetocin, Lansoprazole, Lercanidipine, Rivaroxaban, Lipoic acid, Ropivacaine, Potassium chloride, Metoprolol, Mifepristone, Miglitol, Misoprostol, Palonosetron, Propranolol, Saxagliptin, Venlafaxine, Cinacalcet, Thymalfasin, Promethazine, Ipratropium bromide, Fat emulsion amino acid, Medium/long-chain fat emulsion, Bendamustine hydrochloride, Paclitaxel, Azithromycin, Budesonide, Fluconazole, Linezolid, Moxifloxacin, Tinidazole, Cefuroxime, Ceftriaxone, Cefazolin, and Levofloxacin sodium.

At the beginning of 2021, China’s General Office of the State Council formally issued “Opinions on Promoting the Normalized and Institutionalized Development of Centralized and Volume Procurement of Drugs,” thereby officially announcing the normalization and institutionalization arrangements for centralized drug procurement.

According to Premier Li Keqiang, “The bulk-buying program has worked well,” said Li. “It is a major step in reforming medical institutions. The scheme has helped to lower, over time, medical costs for the public, and keep the operation of medical insurance funds sustainable.”

China’s national, centralized procurement has expanded significantly since its pilot known as the “4+7 tender trial” launched in 11 select cities in 2018. On average, China has secured medicines through VBP at price cuts of 53%-54%. At the start of February, China’s fourth round of VBP commenced, seeking 45 drugs across a variety of therapeutic areas including hypertension, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, mental illnesses, and malignant tumors.

Going forward, VBP could take place twice a year, and the initiative will expand to cover all types of clinically necessary drugs, including Chinese-patented medicines and biosimilars. At a January meeting during which Chinese officials laid out the trajectory of the initiative, it was agreed that VBP will expand nationwide to cover the top 250 drugs by national purchase value in 2021 and then 80% of leading drugs by national purchase value in 2022.