China Offers Brand-Name Drugmakers a Lifeline in Bulk-Procurement Tender

China will allow more originator drugs to re-enter its national bulk-procurement program after missing the initial bidding round, expanding a mechanism intended to limit cutthroat price competition and preserve access to brand-name medicines in hospitals.

The 12th round of China’s centralized drug-procurement program will open bids on July 31 and cover 65 medicines used in cancer, central-nervous-system, cardiovascular and endocrine treatments, according to procurement documents issued Tuesday by the National Joint Procurement Office.