China's 2026 National Reimbursement Drug List Takes Effect Nationwide on January 1, Featuring Record-Breaking Inclusion of 50 Class 1 Innovative Drugs

(Source: Economic Daily)

Source: Economic Daily

2025 National Basic Medical Insurance, Maternity Insurance, and Work-related Injury Insurance Drug Catalogue and the First Edition of the Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug Catalogue Officially Released. The new version of the drug catalogue adds 114 drugs, increasing the total number of drugs in the medical insurance drug catalogue to 3,253 after adjustment, including 1,857 Western medicines and 1,396 traditional Chinese medicines. The level of coverage in key areas such as cancer, chronic diseases, mental illnesses, rare diseases, and pediatric medications has significantly improved.

Notably, among the newly added drugs in this round of medical insurance, the number of Class 1 innovative drugs reached 50, setting another record high. These innovative drugs include several "world-first" and "first China-produced" star varieties, covering mainstream innovative pharmaceutical companies both domestically and internationally, enabling breakthrough therapies urgently needed in clinical practice to benefit patients more quickly.

In terms of multinational pharmaceutical companies, Novartis successfully included two new products and four new indications in the new edition of the national medical insurance catalog. The long-acting "lipid-lowering injection" Inclisiran sodium injection (Leqvio) is among them. Since 2017, the company has had more than 40 drugs enter the national medical insurance catalog. Three innovative drugs from Johnson & Johnson's Innovative Pharmaceuticals division—Tremfya, Stelara, and Zytiga—also made the list, covering major disease areas such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and prostate cancer. Currently, out of the 40 innovative drugs launched in China, 34 have been included in the medical insurance system, benefiting a large number of patients.

In terms of domestic pharmaceutical companies,Hengrui PharmaA Total of 11 Anticancer Products Included in the New Medical Insurance Catalog, Covering Five Innovative Products Newly Added to the Insurance, Three Key New Indications of Innovative Drugs, and the Renewal of Three Key Products Within the Catalog. Among them, Disitamab Vedotin, the First ADC Drug Independently Developed in China for HER2-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Covers Indications for Multiple Tumor Types Such as Lung, Breast, Stomach, and Colorectal Cancers, Demonstrating Outstanding Cross-Tumor Treatment Potential. Innovent Bio Successfully Secured Insurance Coverage for Seven Innovative Products (Including Newly Added Indications), Including the Expansion of Indications for Mature Products Like PD-1 Inhibitors and Several Recently Launched Drugs Targeting Oncology and Chronic Diseases, Further Enriching Clinical Treatment Options.

Notably, the new edition of the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) includes several drugs that fill gaps in basic medical insurance coverage. Sarclisa (Isatuximab Injection), an innovative blood cancer drug from Sanofi, is currently the only anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody approved in China for use in combination with the VRd standard therapy. Clinical studies show that this treatment combination, when used as a first-line therapy, is expected to achieve a progression-free survival of up to 90 months, potentially reshaping the first-line treatment standard for related diseases. Hansoh Pharma's domestically developed third-generation EGFR-targeted drug, Almonertinib, has had two indications included in the NRDL: adjuvant treatment after lung cancer surgery and treatment for unresectable locally advanced cases. This makes the drug the first China-developed third-generation EGFR-TKI to have four major indications covered by medical insurance—postoperative adjuvant treatment, locally advanced, first-line advanced, and second-line advanced treatments—offering more accessible innovative treatment options for the comprehensive management of patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

Relevant experts, in an interview with reporters, stated that the adjustment of the national medical insurance catalog has consistently adhered to the principle of "genuinely supporting innovation, supporting true innovation, and supporting differentiated innovation." This not only injects strong momentum into the research and development innovations of pharmaceutical companies but also provides clinical patients with a wider range of higher-quality medication options.

It is reported that since the establishment of the National Healthcare Security Administration in 2018, the healthcare security catalog has been dynamically adjusted once every year. Zhang Ke, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Director of the National Healthcare Security Administration, introduced that from 2018 to date, China has cumulatively added 949 new drugs to the catalog. The healthcare security fund has spent over 460 billion yuan on negotiated drugs within the agreement period, driving related drug sales exceeding 600 billion yuan. This has strongly promoted the "replacing old with new" and iterative upgrading of the pharmaceuticals market.

New Edition of Medical Insurance Catalog to Be Officially Implemented Nationwide in China on January 1, 2026