The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has officially released the “Work Plan for the Temporary Import of Clinically Urgently Needed Drugs” and the “Work Plan for the Temporary Import of Clobazam.” The final policies are essentially unchanged from the draft proposals published three months ago. Clobazam, a benzodiazepine class medication used to treat anxiety and epilepsy, is among the drugs targeted for temporary import.
Drug Supply Issues in China
Drug supply issues are a significant concern in China due to the large population, complicated disease spectrum, and individually differentiated medications. Recently, attention has been focused on certain special drugs targeting specific groups. The National Health Commission (NHC) and NMPA prepared this week’s policy to ensure access to specialist drugs with low volume requirements but addressing unmet needs, guide standard clinical use in medical institutions, and secure medications more safely.
Temporary Import of Clobazam
Clobazam, first discovered by Roche in the 1950s and patented in 1968, has been on the market for decades. The government aims to encourage domestic companies to ramp up generic development of such drug targets, as well as prompting overseas manufacturers to file for marketing in China. The temporary import of clobazam is part of the broader effort to address drug supply issues and ensure that patients have access to necessary medications.-Fineline Info & Tech
