Alibaba Health Pharmacy Launches 'New Drug First-to-Market Support Program' with Fastest 3-Day Listing

New Opportunities for New Drug Launches Are Here! On October 15, Alibaba Health Pharmacy held its fifth-anniversary launch event in Shanghai, where it announced the initiation of the “New Drug First-Launch Support Program.” This program comprises four key initiatives: a seven-day green channel for first launches, dedicated resource support, one-on-one strategic services, and infrastructure support across 100 cities.

Liu Henghao, General Manager of Alibaba Health Pharmacy, Unveils “New Drug Launch Support Program” On-Site

In 2020, the Center for Drug Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration approved 208 new drug marketing applications, including 20 innovative drugs and 72 originator drugs manufactured overseas. For companies developing novel and specialty drugs, it is essential to identify breakthroughs in the out-of-hospital market, shorten the time required for products to reach the market, and expand patient coverage. Currently, many patients in lower-tier cities indeed face challenges such as limited availability, difficult access, and improper use of novel and specialty drugs.

“Ali Health Pharmacy aims to bolster the initial market launch of new drugs, ensuring that patients gain timely access to high-quality medications and enabling new therapies to reach those in need more efficiently,” said Liu Henghao, General Manager of Ali Health Pharmacy. The “New Drug Launch Support Initiative” will provide pharmaceutical company partners with end-to-end support, covering the entire process from “submission and listing” to “delivery into patients’ hands.”

“The New Drug Launch Support Program” Includes Four Initiatives

It is reported that Alibaba Health Pharmacy’s “New Drug Launch Support Plan” comprises four concrete measures: First, a 7-day green channel for new product launches. A fast-track process is established for newly launched drugs, with the time from submission to listing for initial operation ranging from a minimum of 3 days to a maximum of 7 days. Second, dedicated resource support. Over the next three years, specialized resources will be invested to ensure that new and specialty drugs have sales channels, patient education scenarios, and marketing resources. Third, provision of one-on-one strategic services. A Brand Data Center has been established to customize digital solutions for pharmaceutical companies, and the digital product “Brand Star Map” has been opened up, allowing brands to intuitively access comprehensive data across various dimensions. Leveraging digital capabilities such as market insights, data research, and category analysis, the plan helps pharmaceutical companies identify optimal market segments, penetrate specific categories, and formulate target population strategies. Fourth, infrastructure support across 100 cities. Building on years of professional cold-chain warehousing and logistics development, Alibaba Health Pharmacy has achieved next-day delivery of medications in 100 cities nationwide. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 licensed pharmacists are available online 24/7 to provide medication guidance services.

Over the past two years, multiple new drugs from renowned pharmaceutical companies have chosen Alibaba Health Pharmacy for their initial launch. These include Roche’s innovative anti-influenza drug baloxavir marboxil tablets; AstraZeneca’s lung cancer medications gefitinib and osimertinib; Baiyang Pharmaceutical’s new formulation of metformin nidate; Takeda Pharmaceutical’s novel acid-suppressing drug vonoprazan fumarate tablets; and GSK’s fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol inhalation powder for the treatment of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Over the past five years, Alibaba Health Pharmacy has served more than 200 million users. An increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are choosing to launch their new and high-quality drugs on Alibaba Health Pharmacy, making it their preferred partner platform for expanding into the out-of-hospital market.