Gongwin Biopharm Holdings’ new lung cancer drug Proxanib (PTS-302, Toluene Sulfonyl Urethane Injection) has taken another step forward in entering the Chinese market. On the 25th, the drug successfully passed the preliminary formal review for inclusion in the 2025 National Basic Medical Insurance Drug List in China. Notably, it is among the few drugs that also passed the preliminary formal review for the Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug List (“Commercial Insurance List”). According to the company, if the subsequent expert evaluations, negotiation, and pricing discussions proceed smoothly, Proxanib will be formally included in the “dual reimbursement” system, enabling rapid market expansion and potentially driving a significant surge in revenue.
China’s Basic Medical Insurance Drug List is updated dynamically once a year. This year, 534 drugs passed the preliminary review, surpassing last year’s figure. To broaden coverage beyond what basic insurance alone can support, China introduced for the first time a Commercial Insurance Innovative Drug List, with 121 drugs passing the preliminary review. This new list emphasizes drugs with high levels of innovation, strong clinical value, and clear patient benefits. By adopting a dual-list system, patients across different payment capacities gain more comprehensive protection, while pharmaceutical accessibility and market competitiveness are enhanced.
Basic medical insurance has long been the largest payer in China’s pharmaceutical market, making entry into its drug list a top priority for all industry players. Official data shows that last year, the number of participants in China’s basic medical insurance reached 1.327 billion, maintaining a coverage rate of 95%. The basic medical insurance fund’s total expenditure reached RMB 2.97 trillion. At the same time, China’s commercial health insurance earned RMB 977.3 billion in original premium income in 2023, representing an 8.2% annual growth. With the government actively building a multi-tiered healthcare security system and encouraging commercial insurance development alongside rising per capita income, China’s insurance market has vast growth potential.
Lin, Mao-Yuan, General Manager of Gongwin Biopharm Holdings, noted that Proxanib is among the rare innovative drugs to pass the preliminary reviews for both basic and commercial insurance lists. This underscores its superiority in treating malignant airway obstruction (MAO) caused by central-type lung cancer, earning initial recognition and qualification to enter the subsequent review process for the dual reimbursement lists.
Proxanib has already been adopted by more than 200 hospitals, including top-tier “Grade A” institutions, with over 2,000 treatment prescriptions to date. Lin emphasized that if the drug successfully enters the dual reimbursement lists, more than 1.3 billion people in China could gain access to Proxanib under both basic and commercial insurance coverage. This is expected to exponentially expand its market potential and fuel explosive revenue growth.
Resource: 共信-KY肺癌新藥普羅先安，通過中國醫保「雙目錄」形式審查
