▶️Connecting the Dots for Global Pharma: Critical Factors Driving Success in China
This Q&A session builds on Modules 1 and 2 of our C-List Masterclass, offering practical insights for multinational companies navigating China’s evolving access landscape.
In the first half, I explored the limitations of applying a pricing-centered access framework—typically developed for more mature markets—to the Chinese context. I discussed how this narrow lens has contributed to the growing disconnect between MNCs’ clinical and commercial strategies and China’s market realities, significantly limiting their potential in the market.
I also introduced a self-assessment exercise to help teams evaluate alignment with payer priorities and surface internal disconnects.
In the second half, we took a closer look at the national commercial drug catalog. I unpacked three key risk factors that differentiate this pathway from the NRDL and shared a checklist to guide internal evaluation.
We wrapped up by addressing participants’ questions—diving into real-world challenges and recent developments that signal promising opportunities in China’s commercial access landscape.
C-List Implementation Timeline
One question of interest is the expected launch timeline for the C-List, especially since the NHSA delayed the initial application start date from April 1. I also emphasized during the Q&A the importance of governance alignment as the foundation for successful implementation.
Although no official timeline has been released since NHSA’s January 17 press conference, two recent developments suggest momentum is building for the commercial innovative drug catalog:
On May 18, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on "Implementing the Major Decisions of the 20th National Congress and Advancing High-Quality Development of Medical Insurance".
At the briefing, the National Healthcare Security Administration stated that it will work with relevant departments to actively explore appropriate pathways and effective models for the coordinated development of basic medical insurance and commercial health insurance—aiming to better meet the public’s diverse and evolving healthcare coverage needs.
A well-integrated public-private partnership is essential to building a private supplemental insurance model that complements China’s basic national coverage.
In the near term, how this partnership takes shape will directly influence the integration of commercial insurance with the C-List—impacting coverage through products like Huiminbao.
Over time, it will define the broader role of commercial insurance in funding innovative medical technologies and reshape the very infrastructure of healthcare delivery in China.
These shifts carry major implications for global pharma, influencing everything from product development priorities to go-to-market strategies. I look forward to unpacking these themes further in our upcoming panel discussions.
On June 9, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Further Safeguarding and Improving People's Livelihoods and Addressing the Public’s Most Pressing Needs.
The document calls for improving the adjustment mechanism for the Basic Medical Insurance (BMI) drug list and introducing a dedicated list of innovative medicines under commercial health insurance—aimed at better meeting the population’s diverse medication coverage needs.
Looking ahead, one of NHSA’s key tasks is to build a linkage mechanism between the C-List and the NRDL, along with refining the NRDL assessment criteria. We will examine these developments in greater depth during our Strategy Panel.
If you’ve enrolled in the Masterclass, you can access the Q&A recording here. For any questions, please feel free to hit reply.
Part 1: Connecting the Dots for Global Pharma – Critical Factors Driving Success in China
Part 2: Assessing Access Pathways – Commercial vs. NRDL
Part 3: Open Q&A
If you haven’t enrolled yet, there’s still time before the live panel discussions begin. That said, the window is narrowing, especially with NHSA signaling its intent to align the C-List and NRDL adjustment cycles.
Register here: https://www.nrdlplus.com/category-c-drug-list-discussion-series/
