On Saturday, a promising development for cancer patients has been reported as Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the government's new medical insurance regulator will be negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to lower their cancer drugs as a means to help patients.
According to the report, the State Medical Insurance Administration is currently preparing to inclue more cancer drugs on its list of medicines eligible for reimbursement and said that 10 foreign and eight domestic pharmaceutical companies have expressed their intent to assist the agency.
The news is promising as China's cancer rates have been rising due to the increasing senior population, the heavy smoking habits of males in the country and pollution exposure. According to the report of the National Cancer Center last year, at least 4.29 million new cases have been reported every year and at least 2.81 million deaths due to cancer occured.
In May, the state parliament stressed that the five-year cancer survival rate was just around 30% in 2015, a rate which is less than half the current US level. The government have also expressed its goal to improve it by 15% by 2030.
A wider insurance coverage is noted as one of China's largest health problem, especially now that most of its population is getting older. The government has also stressed repeatedly that it will make medicine and treatment cheaper and readily available.
The national insurance system has already began including 16 brands of targeted cancer drugs last year according to Xinhua, which brought down the prices by 44%.
This year, China has removed tariff on all imported cancer drugs starting May 1st after a decision was declared by Premier Li Keqiang in April regarding the issue.
