National Healthcare Security Administration Rejects 'Pseudo-Innovation' and Promotes Genuine, Differentiated Innovation in Medical Products

According to official information, from July 17 to 25, 2025, the National Healthcare Security Administration held five consecutive symposiums specifically focusing on “Healthcare Insurance Support for Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices.”

The first symposium focused on discussions regarding the “comprehensive value assessment of innovative drugs and medical devices for health insurance coverage.” The second symposium introduced “a series of new measures leveraging health insurance pricing policies to empower innovation in drugs and medical devices,” with representatives from multiple organizations presenting on the research, development, and application of new technologies and products in the pharmaceutical sector. The third symposium centered on “health insurance data services supporting the R&D of innovative drugs and post-marketing real-world studies.” The fourth symposium delved into the “current status, challenges, and future directions of innovative drug R&D.” The final session was an “investment-focused forum,” featuring in-depth discussions on “how patient capital can support innovation in drugs and medical devices.”

What signals were jointly conveyed by the five symposiums? Who participated in the meetings? What impact will they have on the high-quality development of innovative drugs and medical devices in China? The following is a summary of the key information.

I. Full-chain support, covering innovation from 0 to 1 and then to N

From R&D in the laboratory to clinical implementation, and further to inclusion in the National Reimbursement Drug List, five symposiums have established a support network covering the entire lifecycle of innovative drugs and medical devices.

Shift R&D from “experience-based judgment” to “data-driven decision-making.” The third and fourth symposia focused on the development of medical insurance data services, clarifying that real-world data should support the initiation of innovative drug projects.

Accelerating the Large-Scale Clinical Adoption. At the second symposium, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and Huashan Hospital Fudan University shared how establishing medical insurance billing items has facilitated the clinical application of new technologies such as tubeless techniques and brain-computer interfaces, thereby accelerating the translation of innovative achievements from the laboratory to patients.

Scientifically Assess the Comprehensive Value of Innovative Products. The first symposium focused on the comprehensive value assessment for medical insurance, providing a scientific basis for medical insurance procurement by scientifically evaluating the clinical, economic, and social comprehensive value of innovative products. The second session proposed research into implementing a launch price mechanism for newly marketed drugs, the fourth session focused on the dynamic adjustment of the National Healthcare Security Administration’s medical insurance directory, and the fifth session focused on investment in innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

From supporting R&D project initiation to clinical application, from value assessment to medical insurance inclusion, and further to financial support from patient capital, full-chain policy safeguards ensure that innovative drugs and medical devices have “clear direction, feasible implementation, and assured returns.”

II. Support for All Stakeholders: Multi-Party Participation Benefits the Development of Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices

The participant lists of the five symposiums constitute a “panoramic view” of China’s innovative pharmaceutical and medical device sector.

Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with universities and research institutions such as Peking University and the Changping National Laboratory, provide intellectual support for innovation; enterprises including BeiGene, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals, China Resources Sanjiu, United Imaging Healthcare, and Beijing Surgerii Robotics Co., Ltd. share their R&D and production practices; medical institutions such as West China Hospital and the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center serve as “testing grounds” for the implementation of innovative technologies; investment institutions like the National Council for Social Security Fund and China Investment Corporation leverage market forces to boost the development of innovative drugs and medical devices; media outlets such as 21st Century Business Herald participate by offering recommendations, helping to foster a favorable innovation ecosystem.

From research institutions to enterprises, from medical facilities to financial firms, and from government agencies to media outlets, diverse stakeholders are joining forces to foster multi-party participation and mutual benefit in the development of innovative drugs and medical devices.

III. Comprehensive Factor Support to Stimulate Innovation Momentum

The development of innovative drugs and medical devices relies on the deep integration of key elements such as data, policy, and capital; the five symposiums serve as a significant demonstration of synergistic coordination among these factors.

The symposium clarified the need to establish synergistic channels between medical insurance data and R&D, using epidemiological and disease burden data to “navigate” research and development; implementing comprehensive value assessments for medical insurance, standardizing medical service pricing items, and adopting differentiated innovation-oriented strategies... Policies continue to empower innovation in pharmaceuticals and medical devices; the participation of institutions such as China Development Investment Group and China Development Bank has turned financial capital into a “booster” for innovation, addressing the challenges of long R&D cycles and substantial investment requirements.

IV. Wholehearted Support to Demonstrate Responsibility and Commitment

From the level of participation to the expression of attitudes, the five symposiums conveyed the National Healthcare Security Administration’s clear stance and firm determination to support innovation.

At five symposiums hosted and addressed by leaders of the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), key officials from the NHSA’s General Office, Department of Pharmaceutical Management, Department of Price and Procurement, Center for Guidance on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Tendering & Procurement, and Big Data Center, along with relevant business supervisors, were all in attendance to interpret policies and solicit recommendations.

The National Healthcare Security Administration’s clear stance of “genuinely supporting innovation, supporting true innovation, and supporting differentiated innovation” permeated all five symposiums, explicitly rejecting pseudo-innovation and involutionary innovation. As policies supporting innovative drugs and medical devices continue to be implemented, Chinese innovative drugs and medical devices will accelerate their entry onto the global stage, truly benefiting every patient.