Between 2016 and 2022, 83 previously approved oncology drugs were covered and reimbursed in China through a value-based pricing negotiation programme, which resulted in substantial price cuts but did not improve the correlation between drug cost and clinical benefit. Herein, we call for an improved, transparent value-based pricing model to better account for high-value innovation in oncology drugs.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Barrios, C. et al. Barriers in access to oncology drugs - a global crisis. Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 20, 7–15 (2023).
Cherny, N. I. An appraisal of FDA approvals for adult solid tumours in 2017-2021: has the eagle landed? Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 19, 486–492 (2022).
Neumann, P. J., Cohen, J. T. & Ollendorf, D. A. The Right Price: A Value-Based Prescription for Drug Costs (Oxford Univ. Press, 2021).
Cai, L. et al. Impact of the national drug price negotiation policy on the utilization, cost, and accessibility of anticancer medicines in China: a controlled interrupted time series study. J. Glob. Health 12, 11016 (2022).
Li, H. et al. Recent pricing negotiations on innovative medicines pilot in China: experiences, implications, and suggestions. Value Health Reg. Issues 15, 133–137 (2018).
Tang, M., Song, P. & He, J. Progress on drug pricing negotiations in China. Biosci. Trends 13, 464–468 (2019).
Zhang, Y. et al. Prices and clinical benefit of national price-negotiated anticancer medicines in China. PharmacoEconomics 40, 715–724 (2022).
Jommi, C., Armeni, P., Costa, F., Bertolani, A. & Otto, M. Implementation of value-based pricing for medicines. Clin. Ther. 42, 15–24 (2020).
Zhang, Y., Wagner, A. K. & Guan, X. Newly approved cancer drugs in China - innovation and clinical benefit. Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 20, 135–136 (2023).
Yuan, J., Lu, Z. K., Xiong, X. & Jiang, B. Lowering drug prices and enhancing pharmaceutical affordability: an analysis of the national volume-based procurement (NVBP) effect in China. BMJ Glob. Health 6, e005519 (2021).
Acknowledgements
The authors thank J. Bin (Peking University) for insightful suggestions for this project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Supplementary information
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yuan, J., Li, M. & Lu, Z.K. National value-based pricing negotiation for oncology drugs — lessons from China. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 20, 501–502 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-023-00769-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-023-00769-8
