Development and Reform Commission Randomly Investigates Drug Firms for Price Reduction

In January this year, the National Development and Reform Commission lowered the prices of medicines such as respiration, antipyretic analgesia and specialist special drugs. At that time, Chinese medicines were widely expected to follow suit. However, of the 60 drug companies surveyed, relatively few Chinese medicine companies were involved. , not the main target of verification.

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission launched a special survey on drug prices, including 60 pharmaceuticals from more than 10 listed pharmaceutical companies including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Sandoz and other foreign pharmaceutical companies, Yuheng Pharmaceutical, Hisun Pharmaceutical, and Southwest Pharmaceutical. The enterprise was "Kinda" verified by the National Development and Reform Commission. Among them, the prices of 33 drug companies such as Shuanglu Pharmaceutical and Yibin Pharmaceutical of Wuliangye Group were investigated, while 27 drug companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and Hengrui Pharmaceutical were subject to cost investigation.

In fact, this investigation of the pharmaceutical industry was not the first time. As early as April 2006, the Development and Reform Commission had conducted cost investigations on 28 types of western medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines. After the investigation ended, the NDRC immediately lowered 67 types of anti-tumor drugs. The retail price of medicines.


Insiders pointed out that the current price cuts for drug products are expected to exist, and the NDRC's special investigation has further strengthened this expectation. However, before the October survey results are released, the pharmaceutical industry will not usher in a large-scale price reduction. In addition, the 60 pharmaceutical companies selected by the National Development and Reform Commission are not necessarily the ones with the highest gross margins in the pharmaceutical industry, and the final survey results are unlikely to result in similar results.

One view is that at present, a considerable portion of drug companies, especially listed drug companies, have excessively high interest rates. For instance, 10 listed drug companies such as Hengrui Pharmaceutical and Yiwei Pharmaceutical have gross profit margins exceeding 80% last year, and among 176 listed drug companies, Over 70% of pharmaceutical companies with gross profit margins exceeding 30% are considered to be one of the most profitable industries.

However, unlike industries such as highways and liquor industries, the just-needed nature of the pharmaceutical industry is more obvious and directly related to people's livelihood. Its high-margin features are easily magnified and interpreted, and are even considered to be one of the factors that make it expensive. In fact, high drug prices and expensive medical services are caused by multiple causes. It is unfair for drug companies to take on their own names.

Before the NDRC initiated a special survey, high gross profit in the pharmaceutical industry was considered as an industry phenomenon or a social phenomenon. With the NDRC organizing a special survey from July to October, the high gross margin of the pharmaceutical industry was given more political signals. It was speculated by the media. The National Development and Reform Commission is about to start the pharmaceutical industry.

This kind of speculation is not unfounded. Just before the announcement of the investigation report on drug companies, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) first conducted an anti-monopoly investigation on dairy companies, and Wyeth, Dumex, Bein America and other dairy companies cut prices. And then contact the NDRC's anti-monopoly penalties for some liquor companies at the beginning of the year. It is also reasonable that the pharmaceutical companies were investigated and considered to be a precursor to price cuts in the pharmaceutical industry.

The list of the above 60 pharmaceutical companies has greater randomness. The National Development and Reform Commission aims to understand the costs and prices in the production and distribution of pharmaceuticals through this investigation so as to formulate and adjust the price of pharmaceuticals in a timely manner. This investigation does not indicate the cost of the surveyed enterprises and There is a problem with the price. However, the industry has a lot of concerns about the investigation.