Chinese residents have turned to the black market for generic Covid drugs amid an unprecedented pandemic outbreak in the country, a report said. China approved two Covid-19 antivirals this year – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine, an HIV drug from Chinese firm Genuine Biotech- both of which are only available in certain hospitals in China.
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Chinese are opting to get cheaper but illegally imported generic drugs from India, South China Morning Post reported. Amid the demand, topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” have been trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo, the report added saying that four kinds of generic anti-Covid drugs from India are being sold illegally in the Chinese market – under the brand names Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat and Molnatris.
The Indian generics have not been approved by the Chinese government and selling them is a punishable offence, the report said.
Public health experts and doctors in China have earlier warned of the potential risks and have urged people not to buy medicines from illegal channels, the report said.
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“Marketing queries are coming to [Indian] drug makers asking for quotes on ibuprofen and paracetamol,” Sahil Munjal, chairman of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), told Reuters last week. India would step up production and export of fever medicines to China, he added.
Chinese hospitals and funeral homes are under intense pressure as the surging Covid wave has drained resources, while the scale of the outbreak has prompted some countries to consider new travel rules on Chinese visitors.
China this month began dismantling the world’s strictest Covid regime of lockdowns and extensive testing after widespread protests, putting its economy on course for a complete re-opening next year.
