China's new round of bulk-buying cuts drug prices by half

A total of 252 drug products won bids in China's eighth round of centralized bulk-buying of drugs on Wednesday, with public health facilities expected to see a 56-percent drop in the average purchase price.

The products cover 39 drugs for the treatment of common illnesses and chronic diseases, such as allergy medicines, mental health drugs, and drugs treating Influenza A.

The National Healthcare Security Administration, which launched the bulk-buying, said 366 products from 251 manufacturers participated in the bidding, while 174 manufacturers won the bid, five of them international and 169 domestic.

The administration has launched eight rounds of drug bulk-buying since 2018, selecting 333 drugs with an average price drop of over 50 percent. It promised to ensure that the newly selected medicines will be available to patients by July this year.