Evaluation of changes in price, volume and expenditure of PD-1 drugs following the government reimbursement negotiation in China: a multiple-treatment period interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Government reimbursement negotiation (GRN) is an important policy tool to increase the accessibility of drugs. In China, the impact of GRN implementation on programmed death-1 (PD-1) drugs price, procurement volume, and expenditure is unknown. Methods: This study used a multiple-treatment period interrupted time series design covering the period from the first-time recorded in Chinese Medical Economic Information database to 2022 to examine changes in hospital procurement price, volume and expenditure of PD-1 drugs after the implementation of GRN in China. Data were obtained from 698 public hospitals of 30 provinces in China. Results: A total of four PD-1 drugs have been selected in the National Reimbursement Drug List via GRN between March 2019 and 2022. After the implementation of the first-time GRN, the prices of all PD-1 drugs decreased significantly, with Camrelizumab experiencing the largest reduction in price and the largest increase in volume and expenditure. The Camrelizumab's price decreased by 1151.75 Chinese Yuan (CNY) (β Conclusions: The GRN policy improved the accessibility and affordability of PD-1 drugs. Health insurance policy-makers need to consider the legitimate interests of PD-1 drug manufacturers while ensuring the sustainability of the basic health insurance fund.