China’s top health authority published the country’s first list of high-priority generic drugs Wednesday, urging “relevant departments” to support clinical trials, technical research, and fast-tracked approval for the 33 drugs.

The designated drugs treat a range of illnesses and diseases, many of them rare — and as such, the medicines are often either unavailable on the domestic market or in short supply, as in the case of mercaptopurine, a drug for treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Domestic media have reported that 21 of the 33 drugs are available abroad but not in China. “One main reason domestic drugmakers haven’t started producing these generic drugs is that they’re considered ‘orphan drugs’ with an extremely small market — so companies aren’t motivated to make them,” said Li Tianquan, the CEO of a platform that applies big data within China’s health care sector. “Technical barriers are another reason,” he added.

The new list — a step beyond a policy last year that merely promoted generic drugs more broadly — includes seven medications used to treat rare diseases. (Image: VCG)