Since there are now few licenced antivirals available and China is battling an unprecedented outbreak, several Chinese states have turned to the illicit market for generic Covid-19 medications.
This year, China approved two Covid-19 antivirals: Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Genuine Biotech’s Azvudine, an HIV medication. Both are only accessible in specific hospitals. Many have been driven to choose less expensive but illegally imported generic pharmaceuticals from India due to the scarce supply and high cost.
However, the Chinese government has not approved these generic medications, and it is a crime to sell them.
According to the South China Morning Post, topics like ‘anti-Covid Indian generic meds sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box’ have been popular on the Chinese social media site Weibo, with consumers trading messages and advice on how to obtain the medications.
Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat, and Molnatris are the four generic anti-Covid medications from India that are being sold illegally in the Chinese markets.
Compared to Paxlovid, which costs 2,980 yuan each box, a box of medications made in India can be purchased for between 530 and 1,600 yuan, reports online news source Tencent News.
Post Your Comments