New Norms for Chinese Drug Imports
In the New norms for drug imports announced by the Chinese government, patients are allowed to import drugs that are not registered with its regulator. This move by the dragon nation is expected to benefit Indian pharma companies in the oncology segment.
 R Uday Bhaskar, Director, Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council said that from December, China would be allowing cancer patients to import drugs which are not registered with Chinese regulators. The Council is an arm of the Ministry of Commerce.
According to reports, China has been witnessing a rapid increase in the incidence of cancer with an annual addition of about 10 lakh patients. Consequently, the cancer drug market in China is expected to grow to $25-27 billion over the next five years.
New Norms for Chinese Drug Imports- How Will It Affect The Indian Pharma?
Uday Bhaskar added that the new norms would very good for Indian pharma, which is known for quality as well as affordability. This is due to patients having direct access to imported drugs.
Indian drug makers will also get some relief from the hassles of registration. The Chinese pharma regulator charges a whopping $80,000 for certification of products
. This is considered to be ‘expensive’ by Indian standards.In India, leading oncology generic drug makers have also been stepping up their focus on the Chinese market. An example of this is Natco Pharma Ltd working with Mylan on Copaxone, and according to the VP of Nacto Pharma, they will come up with a strategy very soon.
New Norms for Chinese Drug Imports- The Way Forward?
The efforts of pharma majors like Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, which are increasingly tapping the potential for biosimilar drugs to treat cancer, could also bear fruit going forward. About half a dozen biosimilar products of Dr. Reddy’s are being sold in India and various emerging markets.
India’s drug exports to China have been growing steadily in recent years. In 2018-19, they increased by 14.3% to $230 million compared with the previous financial year. According to the Pharmexcil data in the first quarter of the current financial year, the growth surged by 37%.
