The two sessions (NPC & CPPCC) this year have received much attention from China and outside China, wherein, the most-watched theme is “reform”. Regarding pharmaceuticals, the event that attracts the highest attention is CFDA reform, followed by policy moves of the TCM issue and bio-medicine, etc. that China has been strongly supporting in recent years.

Big event I: China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to be incorporated

Regarding pharmaceuticals, the event that attracts the highest attention is CFDA reform. According to the state organ adjustment scheme published during the two sessions, CFDA will be cancelled in the future to form the State Market Regulatory Administration together with State Administration for Industry & Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, and Inspection and Quarantine.

The reason for this reform given by China is that: reforming the market regulatory system and implementing the unified market regulation is a key link in establishing a unified, open, competitive, and orderly modern market system; it’s worth mentioning that due to the specificity of pharmaceutical product regulation, a State Drug Administration will be formed, which will be affiliated to the State Market Regulatory Administration; the future market supervision will implement the hierarchical administration, with pharmaceutical product regulators only to be set at the provincial level, and regulation of pharmaceutical product operation and sales, etc. to be uniformly assumed by the city and county market regulators.

Big event II: Director Wang Guoqiang’s TCM feelings and “non-drug therapy” idea

China’s support for TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) has reached an unprecedented height in recent years, therefore, the words and deeds of Director Wang Guoqiang of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People’s Republic of China have received much attention during the two sessions. According to Director Wang Guoqiang, countries that participate in the Belt and Road Initiative have developed an intense interest in the TCM, as influenced by the dividends of the said initiative. TCM has now been applied in 183 countries and regions, wherein, 86 countries have entered into the relevant agreements on TCM with China, and there have been 17 TCM centers built by China overseas.

The Report on the Work of the Government by Premier Li Keqiang not long ago also has proposed to preserve TCM and support its development. According to an expert, the future work focus for TCM will be to promote the smooth implementation of the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine and optimize the regulatory system of TCM, which will guarantee the stable “rejuvenation” of TCM.

Furthermore, the “non-drug therapy” proposed by Director Wang Guoqiang recently also targets the TCM. Director Wang Guoqiang said, “The characteristics of disease treatment and prevention of the TCM will reduce frequency and delay the time of getting sick and provide healthcare; the non-drug therapy can reduce injuries on the one hand, and save expenses on the other hand.”

Big event III: The support for bio-medicine to continue

Owing to the attention of China, the bio-medicine development in China keeps up with the international pace, and even surpasses the international levels in many aspects. During the two sessions, heads of Chinese bio-medicine companies including An Kang, Chairman of Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., and Cheng Jing, President of CapitalBio Corporation, etc. are selected as representatives of two sessions, showing China’s attention to bio-medicine and raising the voice on bio-medicine in the two sessions.

Besides the above, in fact, there are other highlights on pharmaceuticals during the two sessions this time, for example, establishment of the State Medical Insurance Administration, coordinated medical service, medical insurance, and pharmaceutical reforms, short supply issue of pediatric drugs, and pharmaceutical big data and pharmaceutical AI, etc. have received big attention. We can see that reasonable matters will be continued and preserved, and unreasonable matters will be reformed after the two sessions, the Chinese medical world will usher in a new sky, and the power of “inheritance and reform” will promote the Chinese pharmaceutical industry to develop.