Top 10 Best-Selling Drugs in Henan Province's 2020 Online Pharmaceutical Transactions Revealed

　　【Pharmaceutical Network | Industry Trends] Recently, Henan Province publicized the online drug transaction data for 2020. The announcement showed that in 2020, a total of 18,129 drugs were traded through the platform in the province, with a transaction amount of 53.2 billion yuan. Among them, the top ten drugs by online transaction value were: AstraZeneca's Osimertinib Tablets, Shanghai Roche Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s Trastuzumab, Pfizer's Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets and Cefoperazone Sodium, CSPC-NBP Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s Butylphthalide Sodium Chloride Injection, Chia Tai Tianqing's Anlotinib Capsules, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.'s Iodixanol Large Volume Infusion, AstraZeneca's Budesonide Suspension, Shandong Buchang Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.'s Naoxintong Capsules, and 3SBio Inc.'s Recombinant Human Thrombopoietin Injection.
 

Industry insiders believe that this list reveals a growing parity between domestic enterprises and multinational corporations in the market. This signifies an ongoing shift in the market positioning of new versus established drugs, while the substantial sales volume growth driven by inclusion in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) negotiations is gradually becoming evident.
 

In fact, this is clearly evidenced by the rapid surge in sales volume of the top two drugs after their inclusion in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Osimertinib was approved by the U.S. FDA in November 2015 and received marketing approval in China in March 2017, making it one of the fastest-launched imported novel anticancer drugs in the Chinese market at that time. Initially priced at RMB 50,000 per box, the price of Osimertinib dropped to RMB 15,000 per box following successful NRDL negotiations in 2018. The NRDL reimbursement standards were set at RMB 510 per tablet (80 mg) and RMB 300 per tablet (40 mg). After its inclusion in the NRDL, Osimertinib experienced a significant increase in sales volume. Data showed that in 2019, sales of Osimertinib in sample hospitals reached RMB 1.004 billion, representing a year-on-year growth rate of 989.4%.
 

Roche’s trastuzumab (Herceptin) has also benefited from inclusion in the national medical insurance scheme. Approved for marketing in China in September 2002, it was included in the national reimbursement drug list in July 2017, with its negotiated price reduced by 65% to RMB 7,600 per vial (440 mg/20 mL). Following its inclusion in the insurance scheme, the sales volume of trastuzumab increased significantly, reaching RMB 3.4 billion in the Chinese market in 2018.
 

However, it is worth noting that competition among biosimilars of trastuzumab has already begun. In August 2020, Henlius’ trastuzumab biosimilar, Hanquyou (HLX02; marketed as Zercepac in the EU), was approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), becoming the first domestically produced trastuzumab biosimilar and automatically included in the National Reimbursement Drug List. In addition to Henlius, other Chinese companies such as CHIATAI TIANQING, Hualan Gene, Hisun Pharmaceutical, Genor Biopharma, and Anke Biotechnology have also established their presence in this field, with their investigational drugs all reaching Phase III clinical trials. In the future, an intense market battle is inevitable.
 

Overall, the medical insurance fund is the primary payer in China's pharmaceutical market. Inclusion in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) means a reduced financial burden for patients and increased willingness of hospitals to prescribe these drugs, which theoretically drives sales growth. Its importance in promoting corporate performance growth is self-evident.
 

Although some product categories with relatively mature markets and intense competition have not yet seen significant sales growth after being included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL), industry experts believe that as preferential policies are further implemented, the positive drivers of volume growth will outweigh the negative impact of price reductions, ultimately leading to an increase in sales revenue. Against this backdrop, a growing number of enterprises will join the NRDL competition; meanwhile, companies that fail to win bids will accelerate their search for new market growth engines, such as expanding primary care operations, to enhance their competitiveness.