Chinese residents are resorting to black marketing of generic Covid-19 drugs as the surge in infections continues to severely impact the medical supply in the country.
According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report, the limited supply of approved Covid-19 antivirals in the country and their high price have compelled residents to opt for cheaper but illegally imported generic drugs from India.
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 report added.
China approved two Covid-19 antivirals this year – Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine, an HIV drug from Chinese firm Genuine Biotech. But both are only available in certain hospitals, the report added.
Exchange of messages over methods and tips on ways to get the medicines were seen on the Chinese social media platform Weibo whereas topics like “anti-Covid Indian generic drugs sold at 1,000 yuan (US$144) per box” were the top trending on Weibo.
While Paxlovid is priced at 2,980 yuan (Rs 35432 approx.) per box, a box of Indian-made drugs can be bought for 530 (Rs 6300 approx.) to 1,600 yuan (Rs 19000 approx.), SCMP reported citing an online portal Tencent News.
Primovir and Paxista are generic versions of Paxlovid, while Molnunat and Molnatris are generics for Merck’s molnupiravir, it added.
Notably, the report says, the Indian generic medicines have not been approved by the Chinese government, and selling them is a punishable offence.
As per China’s drug administration law, medicines marketed abroad but not approved in China are no longer identified as counterfeit, but those involved in their distribution still face administrative penalties on the charge of illegal imports without a licence.
To bypass keyword censorship, certain e-commerce platforms have put the generics up for sale under euphemistic labels.
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Urging people not to buy medicines through illegal means, including unlicensed salespersons on messaging app WeChat, health experts and doctors in China said that this could lead to potential health risks, SCMP said.
The development comes amid a surge in Covid-19 infections across China that has led to an acute shortage of pain and fever medication. The shortage has triggered panic buying among the residents at both pharmacies and online healthcare platforms.
“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, reported SCMP.
India would step up production and export of fever medicines to China, the report quoted him as saying.
According to the Post, China gave emergency approval to Paxlovid in February, but there is no clarity over how much of the drug has been imported since then or how widely hospitals are using the drug, which is currently covered by medical insurance.
Beijing might start distributing Paxlovid and Azvudine to community hospitals, state media reports said, quoted SCMP.
Several such hospitals confirmed The Post that they had received an official notice for online training on administering the drugs, but stocks had yet to arrive.
Earlier this month, China eased the rules to allow retail sales of Paxlovid and also authorised internet healthcare service providers to offer consultations and prescribe drugs.
The announcement led to stockpiling of drugs by the residents.