China advances price controls on foreign meds

China is working on a step-by-step reduction in drug prices that previously had been excused from the government's controls.

In the cross-country race into emerging markets, drugmakers are bound to encounter plenty of bumps. Here's the latest one: China is working on a step-by-step reduction in drug prices that previously had been excused from the government's controls.

The government's National Development and Reform Commission said late last week that it has been meeting with pharma companies affected by the cuts--presumably to keep relations as friendly as possible--but China's 21st Century Business Herald reports (as quoted by PharmaTimes) that foreign drugmakers are expected to take major hits from the new policy. It's "an end of the super-national treatment afforded to foreign companies," the Chinese paper stated.

"NDRC is discussing with some industry insiders on cutting the prices of basic medicines with independent pricing power in China," a NDRC official said (as quoted by the Global Times). NDRC filed a document saying it would take "persistent efforts to bring down the prices o