Hong Kong Biotech ETFs Surge Up to 9.43% on June 29 as Medical Insurance Catalogue Approves 557 Drugs

According to Smart Finance and China's National Healthcare Security Administration, Hong Kong-listed innovative drug ETFs surged on June 29 following approval of 557 drugs in the medical insurance catalogue and 54 drugs in the commercial insurance innovative drug catalogue. The Huatai Baier Innovative Drug ETF (517120) rose 9.43% to 0.673 yuan, the Guangfa Innovative Drug ETF (515120 climbed 8.87% to 0.614 yuan, and the Hang Seng Innovative Drug ETF (520500) gained 8.76% to 1.279 yuan.

The dual-catalogue system marks a shift toward "medical insurance plus commercial insurance" co-coverage, introducing new pre-filing mechanisms and eight-year price protection measures aimed at streamlining approval for later-stage clinical pipelines.