China will add a second GLP-1 drug, used to treat diabetes, to a list of essential drugs all public hospitals are required to prioritize having in their formulary, a government statement said on Thursday.
Increased Access to Diabetes Medication
The injectable semaglutide will be included on China’s national essential drug list, effective from September 1, under the insulin and blood glucose-lowering medication category. This move is expected to increase access to the medication, particularly in remote rural hospitals.
Justin Wang, a partner at global strategy consultancy L.E.K. Consulting in Shanghai, told Reuters that the essential listing would mean the drug should be available even in remote rural hospitals. The inclusion of semaglutide in the National Essential Drug List would also “pave the way for generics to be broadly listed” once they are approved in China.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
