(Yicai Global) Jan. 25 -- Chinese government leaders expressed concern about issues surrounding the country's generic drug industry, including supply as well as overall quality at a central leading group meeting attended by President Xi.

Authorities are proposing reforms to improve the supply of generic drugs and how their use, while also promoting innovation in the sector's research and development efforts.

The group emphasized the need to adjust policies regarding supply and use of medicines based on the demands of the people, with priority given to clinical needs, curative effects, supply shortages, prevention and treatment of serious infectious diseases and rare diseases.

"Such remarks clearly involve the accessibility to drugs and the sustainability of the industry. China Food and Drug Administration has initiated reform for the medicine evaluation system, in an effort to reach various goals related to product quality, evaluations of efficacy consistency and innovation," said an official at the CFDA.

There is still a gap between some varieties of generic drugs in China and original drugs in terms of both quality and efficacy.

"Initial progress has been made in the consistency evaluation, with 55 varieties completing the first round, 13 of which have passed," said the head of the Center for Drug Evaluation at the CFDA.