China looking at Indian market for approved Covid-19 drugs as demand increases
Sale of Paxlovid pill in mainland China
Residents in China have been scouring the market for generic COVID-19 drugs and India seems to be the answer to their problem. In the recent past, the Chinese authorities have approved two Covid antivirals – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine – for the treatment. While China has ran out of the medicine, the Indian market is filled with it and is slowly becoming the next favourite destination.
In the past few months, topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” has been making the rounds of the Chinese social media. Platforms like Weibo and WeChat are filled with such queries and experts believe that black market deals are being conducted on them.
The South China Morning News reported that the drugs are currently available for an inflated price in the China market with names like Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat and Molnatris. While Paxlovid is originally priced at 2980 Yuan per box, the price in India is much lower at 1600 Yuan.
While the distribution of drugs which are not approved in China is not illegal, there can be penalties imposed on the illegal imports. Even the doctors in China have warned the public against buying drugs on the black market with several patients displaying massive side effects to the medicines.
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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.