China encourages production of 34 generic medicines

Chinese authorities on Friday released a list of 34 generic medicines, encouraging pharmaceutical firms to develop and produce them.

Anti-AIDS drugs Rilpivirine and Abacavir, and leukemia drug Azathioprine are included in the list issued by the National Health Commission (NHC).

[File Photo: IC]

The 34 medicines were proposed by experts from the NHC, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Medical Products Administration and the National Intellectual Property Administration.

The patents of these drugs are either expired or will soon be expired with no fresh applications for registration, according to a statement concerning the list, which also includes drugs that are in short supply.

The list is the first of its kind in the country and new lists will be published at the end of each year starting 2020.