Hospitals in China saw a 15 percent increase in 2020 in the variety of anti-cancer drugs with negotiated price cuts compared with 2019.

A staff member manages drugs at the pharmacy of the second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 10, 2018. China's drug authority on Wednesday approved inclusion of 17 anti-cancer drugs in the government's basic medical insurance programs. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

The data was based on results from a monitoring network that covers more than 1,400 hospitals across China, Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference on Monday.

In 2018, 17 anti-cancer drugs were included in China's medical insurance reimbursement list, with their prices cut by 56.7 percent on average after a round of price negotiations between the National Health care Security Administration and pharmaceutical companies.

The hospitals under the monitoring network purchased 450.8 percent more of the 17 anti-cancer drugs on average in 2020 than in 2018, Guo said, adding that the accessibility of anti-cancer drugs for clinical use has increased.