Access runs along two routes: products approved by the NMPA and routinely prescribable nationwide, and overseas medicines imported under the special licence of the Boao Lecheng pilot zone in Hainan that are not yet registered domestically. The first is stable and can enter national reimbursement negotiation; the second carries defined conditions and restricted prescribing institutions.
Where the price differences come from
- Domestic originator drugs such as zanubrutinib, toripalimab and ivonescimab are usually priced well below imported agents in the same class;
- Negotiated reimbursement prices differ from self-pay prices, and foreign patients usually settle as self-pay;
- Overseas drugs through Boao carry special-import and cold-chain costs, so a unit price above the retail price in the country of origin is not unusual.
Three ways to verify authenticity
- Check the NMPA approval record: product name, manufacturer, approval number and indication against the prescription;
- Obtain the drug from the hospital pharmacy or its designated distributor, and keep the invoice and batch number — refuse informal “carry-in” supply;
- Scan the traceability code on the packaging and verify it on the official platform, and check that cold-chain records are complete.
Regimens must be set by the treating hospital’s medical oncology team. This note covers access routes and verification only; it is neither prescribing advice nor a recommendation of any product.