Core Insights - The governance of drug prices in China is intensifying, with multiple provinces issuing warnings about inflated drug prices, particularly for traditional Chinese medicine [1][2] - Jiangsu Province has issued 35 batches of drug price warnings since 2025, with over 660 drugs marked as "yellow warning" and nearly 15 drugs as "red three-star" [1][3] - The regulatory framework includes a tiered warning system based on price multiples compared to the highest listed price, with severe penalties for non-compliance [3][4] Group 1: Regulatory Actions - Jiangsu's recent warnings include over 20 traditional Chinese medicines, highlighting the focus on controlling excessive pricing [1][2] - The tiered warning system categorizes drugs based on their price multiples, with "red three-star" indicating prices exceeding 10 times the reference price, leading to trading suspensions [3][4] - Other provinces, such as Jiangxi and Shanxi, are also implementing similar measures to address abnormal pricing in traditional Chinese medicine [3][4] Group 2: Industry Impact - Pharmaceutical companies are urged to adopt more cautious pricing strategies and improve transparency in their pricing structures [2][5] - The ongoing price regulation is pushing companies to enhance cost control and optimize supply chain management to remain competitive [5] - The shift towards external market expansion and the development of high-value products is being accelerated due to the pressures from centralized procurement and price reforms [5] Group 3: Challenges and Future Directions - Despite progress in price governance, challenges remain, particularly in establishing a more market-driven pricing mechanism [8] - Experts suggest that a transparent and publicly supervised pricing mechanism is necessary to reduce excessive administrative intervention and allow market forces to play a role [8] - The upcoming national procurement round is expected to further compress inflated prices, with a focus on optimizing bidding rules to prevent extreme price hikes [7][8]