Pharma Giants Scale Back in China Amid Price Wars and Regulatory Pressure
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In Anyang, Henan Province, citizens are snapping up Titanoreine Suppositories produced by Xi'an Janssen via online platforms. Photo: IC Photo
China’s drug regulator has canceled the registration for 80 medicines, including several original brand-name drugs from foreign pharmaceutical giants, sparking concern over patient access to certain treatments.
An announcement by the National Medical Products Administration detailed the withdrawal of 22 products from 17 foreign companies, including Fresenius Kabi, Pfizer Inc., Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Sanofi, Novartis AG, Biogen Inc., and Bayer AG.
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- China’s drug regulator canceled registrations for 80 medicines, including 22 from 17 foreign companies like Pfizer, BioMarin, Sanofi, and Novartis.
- Key withdrawals include BioMarin’s Vimizim (rare disease, no domestic alternative) and Xian Janssen’s Titanoreine, raising patient concerns.
- Most cancellations are older drugs facing generic competition; recent delistings are part of an ongoing trend seen in December and April 2024.
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Who’s Who
- Fresenius Kabi
- Fresenius Kabi is one of 17 foreign companies whose products were among the 22 withdrawn by China's drug regulator. The article mentions Fresenius Kabi in a list of foreign pharmaceutical giants whose brand-name drugs have had their registrations canceled in China.
- Pfizer Inc.
- The Chinese drug regulator has canceled the registration of 80 medicines, including a product from Pfizer Inc. Pfizer is one of 17 foreign companies whose products were withdrawn. These cancellations reflect intense competition, price negotiations, and the rise of domestic pharmaceutical companies in China.
- Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd.
- Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. is a foreign pharmaceutical company whose hemorrhoid treatment, Titanoreine (carrageenan suppositories), has had its registration canceled in China. The company claimed this was due to unsustainable global supply of its main ingredient, despite the product still being sold in Europe. This withdrawal is among 22 products from 17 foreign companies.
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) is a foreign pharmaceutical company whose products are among the 22 withdrawn by China's National Medical Products Administration. The article does not specify which MSD products were canceled, but it notes that many discontinued foreign products are older drugs with generic competition.
- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is a foreign company whose drug registration was canceled by China's drug regulator. Their rare disease medication, Vimizim (elosulfase alfa), was among the withdrawn products. Vimizim is an original brand-name drug with no domestic alternatives in China, and its withdrawal means patients will need temporary import permits to access it.
- Sanofi
- Sanofi is a pharmaceutical giant whose products, including some original brand-name drugs, have faced cancellation of registration in China. The company announced it will withdraw its cholesterol drug Praluent from the Chinese market in July 2025 due to fierce competition and global supply issues. Additionally, an insulin injection from Sanofi was among the well-known foreign products whose registrations were canceled in earlier rounds by the Chinese drug regulator.
- Novartis AG
- Novartis AG is a foreign pharmaceutical company mentioned in the article. Its products are among the 22 from 17 foreign companies whose registrations were canceled by China's National Medical Products Administration. This decision by the Chinese regulator is causing concern over patient access to certain treatments.
- Biogen Inc.
- Biogen Inc. is among the foreign companies whose drug registrations have been canceled by China's National Medical Products Administration. The article lists Biogen Inc. in a group of 17 foreign companies affected by the withdrawal of 22 products. This cancellation highlights the complex pressures faced by multinational drugmakers in the Chinese market.
- Bayer AG
- Bayer AG is one of the foreign pharmaceutical giants whose original brand-name drugs have had their registrations canceled by China's drug regulator. This decision, affecting 22 products from 17 foreign companies, highlights the complex pressures faced by multinational drugmakers in the Chinese market.
- Amgen Inc.
- Amgen Inc. is mentioned as a competitor to Sanofi's cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent in China. Amgen Inc. manufactures an imported rival to Praluent, which has contributed to intense competition in the market.
- Novo Nordisk A/S
- Novo Nordisk A/S is a foreign pharmaceutical company that has had some of its well-known insulin injection products withdrawn from the Chinese market. These cancellations, which occurred in December 2024 and April 2024, are part of a broader trend of drug registration cancellations by China's drug regulator.
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What Happened When
- April 2024：
- China’s drug regulator canceled the registrations of 87 drugs, including well-known foreign products.
- December 2024：
- China’s drug regulator canceled the registrations of 58 drugs, including well-known foreign products.
- 2025：
- China’s drug regulator announced the cancellation of registration for 80 medicines, including 22 products from 17 foreign companies.
- 2025：
- BioMarin’s Vimizim is delisted in China. Patients will have to rely on temporary import permits to access the drug after its withdrawal.
- 2025：
- Xian Janssen’s Titanoreine is discontinued in China due to unsustainable global supply.
- July 2025：
- Sanofi will stop supplying its cholesterol drug Praluent (alirocumab) in China.
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