Merck Drugs Added To Sichuan Essential Drug List
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Merck recently announced the addition of its originator drug Zocor to Sichuan province's essential drug list. With the addition of two types of the cardiovascular drug to the list, prices will be cut by more than 50 percent. This is the first foreign originator drug to enter the province's essential drug list, and cardiovascular specialist Zhang Ting-Jie hopes the example set by Merck will influence other drug companies to seek essential drug listing and bring cheap, high-quality drugs to the people. He also notes that cardiovascular disease has become China's most common disease, with more than 1 million hypertensive patients in the Chengdu region alone. (Click Here For More - Chinese Language