Streamlined Supply Chain
Innovation and improved policies help China speed up availability of cancer drugs
Released on July 5, the caustic drama-comedy Dying to Survive quickly found its way to the top of the box office earnings, with ticket sales hitting nearly 3 billion yuan ($439.87 million). The movie is based on the true story of Lu Yong, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and went on to help himself and more than 1,000 cancer patients acquire cheaper, but unapproved medication from India, where the drugs are much cheaper. Lu’s predicament touched millions of Chinese and sparked heated debate over the availability of cancer drugs in China.
China’s National Cancer Center said last year in its annual report that China saw 4.29 million new cases of cancer every year, accounting for 20 percent of the world’s total; in addition, cancer
Application of AI technology in the R&D process of innovative drugs will have a decisive impact on the availability of cancer medications.
kills 2.81 million people every year in China alone. However, cancer requires expensive and long-term treatment, which many Chinese families cannot afford. For example, the average monthly cost per patient of osimertinib, a medication for lung cancer, can amount to more than 50,000 yuan ($7,330).
As if this was not enough, cumbersome approval procedures are also a major bone of contention for a frustrated public. China Food and Drug Administration estimates that it can take up to several months before a pharmaceutical company is permitted to market a medicine. There are also extreme cases: Cervarix, a vaccine used to prevent cervical cancer and designed by GSK, was approved in 2009 in the United States. However, the British-made vaccine only received the green light from China in 2016.
Action is, therefore, needed from both the health authorities