What is the medical insurance price of obeticholic acid? What is the status of medical insurance reimbursement? Can patients get partial reimbursement?

Obeticholic acid is a drug used to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and certain other liver diseases. It regulates the synthesis and excretion of bile acids by activating farnesoid X receptors (FXR), thereby improving liver function. Although obeticholic acid has been approved and marketed in several countries, it has not yet been approved in China, so patients can only purchase the drug from abroad.

Since obeticholic acid has not yet been officially launched in China, patients cannot purchase the drug through medical insurance reimbursement in China. Patients need to purchase obeticholic acid from abroad through personal payment. In the international market, obeticholic acid is divided into two versions: original drug and generic version. The price of original drugs is relatively high, while some generic versions are more affordable. For example, the price of a generic version of obeticholic acid produced by India's Mylan Company is less than 1,000 yuan, which is much cheaper than the original drug. For some patients, choosing a generic drug may be a more economical option.

However, although generic versions of obeticholic acid are relatively cheap, patients still need to bear the full cost of the drug because it is not covered by medical insurance in China. Patients need to pay attention to the source and quality of drugs when purchasing, and ensure that they purchase genuine drugs through legal and reliable channels. There are risks involved in purchasing drugs through illegal channels. Not only may you face quality problems, but you may also involve legal issues.

In general, obeticholic acid is not yet available in China and therefore cannot be reimbursed through medical insurance. Patients can only choose to purchase the drug from abroad, and the current domestic medical insurance policy cannot cover the cost of the drug. For those patients who require long-term use of obeticholic acid, choosing a relatively less expensive generic version is a viable economic option, but still carries an out-of-pocket burden.

Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obeticholic_acid