28 November 2019 - Drug makers including Roche and Novartis have agreed to cut the prices of some of their newest medicines by an average of 61 per cent in China to get on a national reimbursement scheme list, regulators said.

Inclusion on the list is likely to boost sales by opening up markets in smaller and less-affluent cities, but some industry insiders said that offering large price cuts only in China could spark criticism of drug companies in other markets.

Seventy new drugs, including Roche’s breast cancer treatment pertuzumab, sold under the trade name Perjeta, and Novartis’ dermatitis treatment omalizumab, branded as Xolair, will be added to the list, the National Healthcare Security Administration said on its website on Thursday.

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