Posted by Michael Wonder on 26 Jul 2018
Why China’s premier used hit movie ‘Dying to Survive’ to push for cheaper cancer drugs
26 July 2018 - Li Keqiang has been trying to speed up price cuts for life-saving medication for months, and it’s a boon that the box-office hit has generated widespread awareness.
When China’s premier has to turn to a box-office hit to gather new steam for a government campaign to tame cancer drug prices, it’s clear he is facing an uphill battle.
Billed as the Chinese answer to Dallas Buyers Club, the tear-jerking film Dying to Survive last week became Premier Li Keqiang’s new rallying cry for speeding up price cuts for cancer medications. It is an issue of such complexity that he has held two cabinet meetings about it in the past three months.
