China planning to add more cancer drugs to medicines eligible for reimbursement from govt

The tale struck a chord with Internet users and even the country's leaders, spotlighting national anxieties about unaffordable hospital care.

China plans to add a range of cancer drugs to medicines eligible for reimbursement from the government, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, adding that negotiations on pricing with manufacturers should be finished by end-September.

China's cancer rates have been soaring, driven by growing numbers of people in their sixties, heavy smoking among men and exposure to pollution.

The drugs under discussion treat blood cancers and solid tumors, including colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma, lymphoma and chronic myelogenous leukemia, according to Xinhua.

The news comes after a low-budget Chinese movie released earlier this year told a story about a leukemia patient who turns to smuggle cheap cancer drugs from India.

The tale struck a chord with Internet users and even the country's leaders, spotlighting national anxieties about unaffordable hospital care.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)