Insulin Is A Protein And Has The Price Of Insulin Dropped In China?

On May 1, 2022, the sixth batch of state-organized centralized quantityprocurement of drugs (insulin-specific) was officially listed and executed inTianjin, which became the first city to land in this round of insulincollection, and the first prescription of triple-generation insulin under RMB20 was issued by Tianjin Chest Hospital. This prescription comes from Eli Lillyand Company's zinc arginine recombinant lysergic insulin mix injection, whichobtained A1 status in the premixed insulin analogue group, and its price hasbeen reduced by 73%, and now the single price is only RMB 18.89.

The procurement cycle is implemented in accordance with the unifiednational joint procurement office for a period of 2 years from the officialimplementation date of the winning result. The procurement subjects includepublic medical institutions (including military medical institutions), medicalinsurance designated socially run medical institutions and medical insurancedesignated retail pharmacies that participate in the centralized quantityprocurement of drugs (insulin special) organized by the state. Have you everconsidered that insulin is a protein?

It is reported that the first year of procurement demand in Tianjin isabout 8.6 million units, from now on more than 1 million diabetic patients inthe city will be able to use affordable insulin. If the monthly use of three18.89 drugs collected is estimated, even without medical insurancereimbursement, the patient's annual drug costs can be reduced to less than 700yuan, the average daily cost of less than 2 yuan. Scientists study insulin is aprotein.

The average price reduction of 48% from May, many provinces have beenimplemented

On November 26 last year, the National Health Insurance Bureaucompleted the sixth batch of centralized procurement of state-organized drugsin Shanghai - insulin special procurement, 42 insulin products were selectedthrough bidding, with an average price reduction of 48%. Recently, the NationalHealth Insurance Administration and the National Health and Wellness Commissionissued the Notice on Improving Supporting Measures for Centralized QuantityProcurement and Use of State-Organized Drugs (Insulin Special).

Starting from May this year, the provinces started to implement thenational centralized procurement price of insulin one after another, and theinsulin "group purchase" in the name of "national team"will arrive in the hands of patients one after another in May. In addition toTianjin, which has been in place since May 1, Fujian today (May 9) unified theimplementation of the national collection of selected results in all publicmedical institutions in the province. In addition, some provinces have alsoissued documents to clarify the implementation time. It is understood thatGansu Province will start from May 15, Shanxi Province from May 20, JiangxiProvince from May 25, Hainan Province and Guizhou Province from May 30 toofficially implement the selected results. Scientists explore insulin is aprotein.

Su Wenling, director of the Department of Endocrinology of TianjinChest Hospital, said: "This round of collection on the one hand reducesthe economic burden of diabetic patients, and on the other hand will activelydrive the upgrade of insulin in clinical application. Previously, due to thehigh price of third-generation insulin, its application was not as extensive assecond-generation insulin. The collection further narrowed the price rangebetween the third generation insulin and the second generation insulin, andeven some of the products also had price inversions, and the third generationinsulin already had favorable price conditions to replace the second generationinsulin. It is believed that with the continuous improvement of medicalinsurance policy, more patients will be able to use more high-quality andlow-cost third-generation insulin."

Director Su Wenling said, "For patients, on the basis of stableblood glucose control, under the guidance of doctors, brand switching betweensecond- and third-generation insulins, as well as between insulins of the sametype, is possible. Our hospital will also actively guide patients to adopt moreeconomical drugs to reduce their burden."

It is understood that production and transportation resources arecurrently limited in some areas due to the epidemic, and manufacturers affectedby the epidemic are actively deploying resources to take the lead in securingpooled supplies. For example, Eli Lilly's insulin factory in Suzhou hasobtained a green pass for the Kunshan port with the support of units at alllevels to ensure that the insulin drugs and injection pens for the collectionarrive at hospitals nationwide in time, quality and quantity. At present, thefirst batch of products have already arrived at more than 50 hospitals inTianjin to support the supply of the first city where the collection isimplemented.

At present, the number of diabetic patients in China exceeds 130million, ranking first in the world. However, the treatment rate and compliancerate of diabetes in China are still at a low level, resulting in an increase incomplications, which not only seriously affects patients' lives and quality oflife, but also brings a heavy burden to the national medical expenditure.Diabetes needs long-term management, which puts higher requirements on theeffectiveness, safety and accessibility of drugs.

It is understood that the "national team" of the "grouppurchase" in the patient-centered, fully respect the clinical choice, tomaintain the stability of clinical drug varieties, to reduce the risk ofsubstitution, a variety of insulin was included in the scope of the collection.The selection of some of the original insulins has reduced the average dailycost of treatment to less than RMB 5, greatly enhancing the accessibility of"quality and affordable" drugs, which is a great benefit to a largenumber of Chinese diabetic patients. So, insulin is a protein.

In fact, the treatment and compliance rates for diabetes in China arestill relatively low, resulting in an increase in complications that not onlyseriously affects patients' lives and quality of life, but also places a heavyburden on national healthcare spending. Diabetes requires long-term management,which places higher demands on the effectiveness, safety and accessibility ofmedicines.

Professor Zhu Dalong, Director of the Chinese Medical AssociationDiabetes Branch, said, "As an important drug for diabetes patients tocontrol blood glucose, insulin has an irreplaceable and important position inachieving blood glucose standards. According to the Chinese Guidelines for thePrevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (2020 Edition), it is recommendedto start treatment with basal insulin for patients who are not well controlledby oral medications."

The primary care system, such as community and county, is the firstline of defense for chronic disease management. The significant price reductionof the original basal insulin has made the world's advanced therapeutic drugsavailable to a wider range of grassroots diabetes patients and has become animportant foundation for standardized diabetes management.