(Yicai Global) Nov. 10 -- The favorable policy environment will provide great opportunities for Pfizer’s development in China, said the vice president of the US pharmaceutical giant’s Worldwide Business Development Lead (Asia) at the China International Import Expo.

“We are committed to further investing in China, one of our most important markets, and supporting Healthy China 2030, the government’s public health blueprint for the next decade,” Yang Ying told Yicai Global.

“To do this, we will not only continue to introduce innovative products, medicines and vaccines into China, but also help the international development of Chinese local pharmaceutical industry,” she said.

Pfizer supports China’s centralized drugs procurement program, which aims to cut the cost of generic and patented medicines through economy-of-scale buying, thereby easing the financial burden on patients. We are in favor of increased access to and affordability of medicines for patients, she said.

New York-based Pfizer is displaying innovative drugs in the five medical specialties of oncology, vaccines, anti-infection, inflammation and immunology and rare diseases at this year’s CIIE, its second time to attend.

One of these is Tafamidis, a drug that was approved by China in September to treat hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis in adult patients with cardiomyopathy, the first oral medicine available for this serious heart disease.

Another is Inotuzumab ozogamicin, a therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It was entered onto China’s priority review list in March and should be approved for market soon.

Of those treatments brought to last year’s CIIE, Crisaborole, the only non-steroidal topical ointment used to treat mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in adults and children, won regulators’ approval to enter the China market in July.

It also reached an agreement with the Hainan provincial government in 2019 which saw its anti-cancer drug lorlatinib available for clinical use within the Pilot Zone of Boao in China’s southern-most province this year.

Editor: Kim Taylor