China and Pfizer fail to reach Paxlovid public insurance deal

The antiviral has not been included in a national register that would have brought the cost down to consumers

Company’s quote was too high, National Health Security Administration says

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Public insurance covers much of the cost of drugs that make it on to the register. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:59pm, 8 Jan 2023

Talks between China’s insurance authority and pharmaceutical company Pfizer to include an antiviral medication in the public health insurance scheme have broken down.

China’s National Health Security Administration said on Sunday that Pfizer’s Paxlovid oral medication, which is used to treat Covid-19, could not be included in the “register of drugs in the basic medical insurance”, because the company’s quotation was too high.

Public insurance covers most of the cost of drugs on the register.

China approved Paxlovid in February last year but the medication has not been widely available partly because of its high cost – around 2,300 yuan per pack.

A temporary agreement with the administration brought that price to hospitals down to 1,890 yuan and inclusion in the register would have reduced it further to about 700 yuan, according to a report in the Economic Observer.

Paxlovid will still be covered by public health insurance until March 31.

Two other Covid-19 treatments, an antiviral called Azvudine by Genuine Biotech, and traditional Chinese medicine Qingfei Paidu, had been included in the list, the administration said.

China and Pfizer fail to reach Paxlovid public insurance deal

The antiviral has not been included in a national register that would have brought the cost down to consumers Company’s quote was too high, National Health Security Administration says

The antiviral has not been included in a national register that would have brought the cost down to consumers

Company’s quote was too high, National Health Security Administration says