As the country battles an unprecedented outbreak with constrained supplies of authorised antivirals, mainly Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Indian generic copies, China has transformed into a black market for Covid-19 medications. Only two antivirals, Paxlovid from Pfizer and Azvudine from Chinese company Genuine Biotech, have received approval from China. Paxlovid is hard to come by and subject to strict regulations at state-run facilities.
China’s National Health Security Administration reportedly stated on Sunday that Pfizer’s oral pharmaceutical Paxlovid, which is used to treat Covid-19, could not be included in the register of drugs in the basic medical insurance because the company’s quotation was too expensive. Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat, and Molnatris, at least four generic COVID medications made in India, have recently been marketed for sale. According to Chinese media outlet Sixth Tone, Primovir and Paxista are both generic versions of Paxlovid, while the other two are generic versions of Molnipiravir.
Video Courtesy: Mirror Now
He Xiaobing, the CEO of Beijing Memorial Pharmaceutical, was quoted by The Sixth Tone as claiming that India was the only nation where we could find trustworthy and affordable COVID medications with guaranteed therapeutic benefits. However, criminal organisations that make fake pharmaceuticals took advantage of the high demand. The treatment of patients will suffer as a result.
Paxlovid boxes are now selling for up to 50,000 yuan ($7,200) on the black market, pushing many Chinese people to search for less expensive options. This is increasing the demand for generic versions of the medication produced in India. Laboratory tests, however, show that a significant portion of the Indian medications in circulation in China are fakeu201d, the research said.
Experts worry that Indian COVID-19 medications are inefficient against the virus and may discourage patients from seeking treatment even though there is no proof that they are harmful. China is dealing with millions of COVID-19 cases; on December 20, the National Health Commission estimated that there were 250 million cases. While most cases of the virus have been mild, cities have seen significant numbers of deaths, particularly among elderly people who have not received the vaccine. Numerous Chinese cities’ crematoriums have reported record-breaking wait times.
The Sixth Tone research also discovered that antiviral medications are now being sold through the same outlets that previously sold Indian-made cancer medications. After China eased restrictions on imports of medicines in 2019, unauthorised medicines, including cancer drugs from India, have entered the country in large numbers despite trade restrictions due to limited transportation routes during the pandemic.
Comment down below.
