Bayer's Verquvo (Vericiguat) Successfully Included in China's 2023 National Reimbursement Drug List

On December 13, the 2023 National Medical Insurance Drug Catalog was released in Beijing. Bayer's novel mechanism-based chronic heart failure treatment drug, Verquvo (Vericiguat Tablets), has successfully been included in the new edition of the National Medical Insurance Catalog, significantly reducing the treatment burden for Chinese patients with chronic heart failure.

China has more than 12 million patients with heart failure, and the number is increasing rapidly by approximately 3 million new cases each year. At the same time, the 5-year mortality rate of heart failure is as high as 50%, with mortality and readmission rates remaining persistently high. The average cost per hospitalization due to heart failure is about 39,064 yuan, imposing a heavy economic burden on patients and their families.

Ge Junbo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a doctor at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, said: "Heart failure is the final battlefield of cardiovascular diseases. Patients generally have complex conditions that require multiple approaches for treatment. Vericiguat is the first approved soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator for heart failure. It directly addresses cellular signaling dysfunction by repairing the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway, breaking through traditional treatment methods and ushering heart failure treatment into a new era of early multi-pathway combination therapy. After being granted priority review and approval as a clinically urgently needed drug, Verquvo (Vericiguat) has been recognized by many doctors and patients for its efficacy and safety. With its inclusion in the national medical insurance catalog, the financial burden on patients will be significantly reduced. We are very pleased to see that innovative drugs can benefit more heart failure patients."

Professor Ma Changsheng from Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, said: "Heart failure is a progressive disease, and almost every patient will experience worsening heart failure. The Phase III VICTORIA study on Vericiguat has confirmed that for patients with recent worsening heart failure, Vericiguat, when added to standard treatment, can further reduce the absolute risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalization by approximately 4.2%, meaning that treating 24 patients can prevent one cardiovascular death or one heart failure hospitalization. The inclusion of Verquvo in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) means that the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization can be reduced with lower expenses, which not only improves treatment outcomes for heart failure patients in China but also alleviates the financial burden on their families."

Professor Yang Jiefu from Beijing Hospital said: "The launch of Verquvo provides doctors with a more efficient weapon to combat heart failure. Since heart failure patients often have multiple comorbidities, the unique mechanism of action and metabolic pathway of Verquvo result in fewer drug interactions, minimal impact on blood pressure, and no effect on potassium levels or renal function, allowing it to be used in a broader population of heart failure patients, reducing the complexity of heart failure treatment. The fact that this drug is covered by medical insurance allows doctors to have more options with fewer concerns when making treatment decisions, which is very important for ensuring treatment effectiveness."

Professor Zhang Jian from Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said: "With the progress of clinical research and changes in guidelines, the optimal strategy for heart failure drug treatment has shifted from stepwise titration to initiating multiple drugs in combination. Moreover, selecting drugs with different mechanisms of action based on individual patient characteristics yields better treatment outcomes. However, in real-world practice, the proportion of heart failure patients using GDMT drugs and reaching target doses remains insufficient, primarily due to tolerability issues related to hypotension, renal impairment, or hyperkalemia. In the VICTORIA study of Vericiguat, over 90% of patients were able to reach the target dose of 10mg per day, demonstrating its good tolerability. After Verquvo (Vericiguat) was included in the National Reimbursement Drug List, its price became more affordable and reasonable. I look forward to Vericiguat playing a greater role in heart failure treatment, allowing more patients to benefit with peace of mind."

Bayer Senior Vice President Ziping Hu said: "Bayer has been deeply involved in the cardiovascular field for many years. We continuously introduce innovative therapies and actively strive to promote drug accessibility and affordability. We understand that meeting patients' medical needs requires joint efforts from all parties. Bayer will, as always, support the government and healthcare workers, and work together with relevant parties to contribute to the well-being of patients."

Verquvo (Vericiguat Tablets) was approved in China in May 2022 for adult patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (ejection fraction <45%) who have been stabilized following recent decompensated heart failure treated with intravenous therapy, to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure or the need for emergency intravenous diuretic treatment. Since its commercial launch in 2022, it has benefited approximately 60,000 Chinese heart failure patients.