To strengthen drug supply resilience and protect patients' access to medication, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has promoted the use of biosimilars since July 1, 2024. Starting August 2025, this initiative will expand to include cancer chemotherapy generics, such as "European Paclitaxel" and "Doxorubicin." The goal is to increase generic drug usage, optimize NHI resources, and accelerate access to new treatments for the benefit of all.

As patents for original brand-name drugs expire, lower-cost biosimilars and generics with comparable quality have entered the market. Countries such as those in Europe, the U.S., and Japan have promoted their use to reduce drug expenditures and enable broader access to innovative treatments. In response to global drug supply instability caused by the pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, the NHIA launched a pilot program in July 2024 to encourage the use of biosimilars. As a result, the share of biosimilars among reimbursed biologics rose to 11.9% (covering 10 ingredients and 36 items), up from 7.38% in July 2023.

The NHIA announced that, starting August 1, it will expand the pilot program to include cancer chemotherapy generics (15 ingredients, 100 items), covering NT$1.6 billion in drug spending and accounting for 43% of usage. The goal is to raise the usage share to 70% through this initiative.

The NHIA is promoting a pilot program to encourage the use of biosimilars and generics, aiming to benefit patients and strengthen drug supply resilience. The initiative seeks to offer doctors and patients more treatment options and gradually include more drugs in the program to ensure stable and reliable medication access for the public.