PhRMA chair impressed by China's progress

Robert A. Bradway, chairman of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said he was impressed with the progress China has made in improving quality healthcare access for Chinese people, and hopes the biopharmaceutical industry can support China's efforts to strengthen its healthcare system. PhRMA represents leading American innovative biopharmaceutical research companies.

"China has committed significant reform to its pharmaceutical regulatory review and approval process, protections of intellectual property and timely, predictable and transparent government reimbursement for innovative medicines, and I look forward to discussing ways the global biopharmaceutical industry can work collaboratively to help China realize these historic goals," he said.

As China aims to advance its Healthy China 2030 initiative and explores how to approach the transition from a model focused on disease treatment to one more aligned with a vision for holistic healthcare, the biopharmaceutical industry can play an important and supportive role, he said, adding scientific innovation brings about better prediction of disease risks, and the biopharmaceutical industry is driving toward preventing diseases with innovative new medicines.

Bradway made the remarks during a two-day visit to China ending on Wednesday, to meet with Chinese policymakers and experts, in line with the tradition of the PhRMA chairman visiting China annually since 2011.

China has made strides in healthcare reform this year, including removing import tariffs on cancer drugs, accelerating the review and approval process for innovative medicines and accepting overseas clinical trial data.

According to government statistics, more than 3,800 imported drugs have been registered in China by the end of June, and among the 415 new drugs approved in the United States, European Union and Japan in the past 10 years, 76 have been approved in China, while 201 are undergoing clinic trials or registering process.