CHINA—China’s National Healthcare Security Administration has announced that Enhertu, a leading breast cancer treatment, will be included in the country’s state-run health insurance program starting January 1.
Enhertu, co-developed by AstraZeneca and Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo, is an advanced antibody-drug conjugate that delivers targeted chemotherapy directly to tumours.
It specifically benefits breast cancer patients with HER2-positive disease.
This announcement, confirmed by spokespeople from both AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, marks the drug’s debut on China’s reimbursement list.
The inclusion follows Enhertu’s recent strides in global markets, such as the U.S., where its supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for treating HER2-low breast cancer was granted Priority Review.
This approval was based on successful results from the DESTINY-Breast06 Phase III trial, demonstrating the drug’s effectiveness compared to traditional chemotherapy for patients who had undergone at least one prior endocrine therapy in a metastatic setting.
Being part of the national reimbursement list is a significant step in making life-saving drugs more accessible to the public.
However, while this move increases the availability of Enhertu in China—a country with a population of 1.4 billion—it also comes with negotiated price cuts.
State news agency Xinhua reports that the average price of newly added drugs on the reimbursement list will decrease by 63%.
This year, 91 new drugs have been included in the program.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in China, following lung cancer, according to 2022 estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
HER2-positive breast cancer, a more aggressive form of the disease, accounts for about 20% of cases, according to AstraZeneca.
This development occurs against the backdrop of AstraZeneca’s expanding investments in China, which contributes 13% of its global revenue.
However, the company recently faced challenges after its China president, Leon Wang, was detained by local authorities under unclear circumstances, affecting its stock performance.
Despite these hurdles, Enhertu’s inclusion in China’s healthcare system underscores the country’s efforts to improve access to advanced cancer treatments and support its growing demand for innovative healthcare solutions.
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