Andrew Silver

China will refine its centralized drug procurement policy, an official report said on Wednesday, after a recent probe into quality concerns of off-patent medicines approved for distribution to public hospitals.

China announced a ban on Tuesday on imports of genetic sequencers from U.S. medical equipment maker Illumina , just minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump's additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.

Some traders said they made preparations to soften the blow.

Authorities in China are investigating reports of quality problems with some drugs eligible for distribution through the country's public hospitals, the National Healthcare Security Administration said.

As Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly expand sales of their popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs, cheaper copies of their patented remedies are winning approval from some regulators overseas, posing a threat to the pharma giants' prices and market share.

AstraZeneca's blockbuster breast cancer drug Enhertu will be added to China's state-run health insurance scheme from Jan. 1, according to an update from the National Healthcare Security Administration.

The EU does not want a trade war with Beijing but five years of talks have yielded no real progress, the bloc's ambassador to China said on Saturday, adding that concern was growing over Chinese market access for European medical devices.

Semaglutide, a patented substance that helps control blood sugar levels and appetite, is the key ingredient in Novo Nordisk's blockbuster drugs.

As China builds fewer houses and bridges, its consumers buy cheaper, less-healthy meals, and as factories and farms invest in automation, a new fiscal challenge is emerging: the country's obesity rate may grow much faster and add to healthcare costs.

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