March 1^st  2023, Professor Wang Jiguang from the Department of Hypertension at Ruijin Hospital，issued the first prescription for Azilsartan Medoxomil Potassium Tablets (Edarbi®) after the official implementation of the new version of National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). The Azilsartan Medoxomil Potassium Tablets, a powerful antihypertensive drug of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) class, is mainly used for the treatment of adults with essential hypertension. After entering the new edition of the NRDL, its price reduction of nearly 70% has further relieved the burden of patients and improved the accessibility of antihypertensive drugs.

“Hypertension is a common cardiovascular chronic disease. It is not only dangerous because of the blood pressure itself, but more importantly, it may cause complications such as aortic coarctation, stroke, heart failure and myocardial infarction. Tens of thousands of people die each year due to complications of hypertension, but the rate of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension is not as high as it should be. Therefore, improving blood pressure attainment rate of antihypertensive treatment for hypertensive patients is a primary task.” said by Professor Wang Jiguang during his interview, “Clinical studies have shown that Azilsartan Medoxomil Potassium Tablets, an ARB antihypertensive drug with a unique molecular structure, has excellent antihypertensive effects, with a blood pressure attainment rate of over 60% at 6 weeks of treatment. Rapid attainment is beneficial in helping hypertensive patients build confidence in blood pressure management, and it is the reason why this prescription is issued. It is hoped that through rational drug interventions, patients will actively accept treatment and improve adherence.”

At present, ARB antihypertensive drugs have been unanimously recommended by domestic and international hypertension guidelines as the initial and basic drugs for antihypertensive treatment, and their effectiveness and safety have been widely verified in clinical practice. This time, the National Reimbursement Drug List for Basic Medical Insurance, Worker's Compensation Insurance and Maternity Insurance (2022) has added a new ARB class of potent antihypertensive drug, Azilsartan Medoxomil Potassium Tablets, to help Chinese hypertensive patients benefit from the treatment of this innovative antihypertensive drug and achieve early blood pressure compliance. Controlling blood pressure in the ideal range can reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and other complications, which can not only reduce the burden of patients and their families, but also further save medical resources and social costs.

The Healthy China Action (2019-2030) proposes to strive to increase the awareness rate of hypertension to 65%, the standardized management rate of hypertensive patients to no less than 70%, the continuous improvement of hypertension treatment rate, and the control rate of hypertension to 50% or higher in the next decade by 2030. With the continuous improvement of the national health reimbursement policy, the current treatment cost of hypertension drugs has been greatly reduced, and more innovative drugs have entered the national health reimbursement list, providing new treatment options for patients and physicians.

Mr. Summer Xia, CEO of Hasten Biopharma said that “In less than 10 months after receiving the exclusive rights for Azilsartan Medoxomil Potassium Tablets in mainland China, Hasten Biopharma has successfully drive its inclusion in the NRDL, confirming its commitment to help improve the accessibility of innovative drugs in the field of chronic diseases and age-related diseases. In the future, Hasten will accelerate the basic research and clinical application of drugs in the field of chronic diseases, and join hands with experts and partners in the medical field to benefit more patients.”