COVID-19: Chinese demand for Indian generic medications increased

Due to the enormous COVID-19 outbreak in China, the demand for Indian generic medications has skyrocketed, but Chinese specialists are warning that fraudulent versions of these medications are overtaking the market.

According to media sources, China’s National Health Security Administration declared on Sunday that Pfizer’s oral pharmaceutical Paxlovid, which is used to treat COVID-19, could not be added to the “register of drugs in the basic medical insurance” because the company’s quotation was too expensive.

Paxlovid is in extremely short supply, which has increased demand for Indian generic counterparts on Chinese e-commerce platforms.

Primovir, Pakistan, Molnunat, and Molnatris, at least four generic COVID-19 medications made in India, have recently been made available for purchase on Chinese e-commerce platforms. The generic versions of the other two medications are Molnipiravir and Primovir, respectively, according to the Chinese news outlet Sixth Tone.

The use of these four medications is not permitted in China, despite the Indian authorities appearing to have given their emergency usage approval.

Beijing Memorial Pharmaceutical’s president, He Xiaobing, told Sixth Tone that India was “the only nation where we can acquire trustworthy and reasonably priced COVID-19 medications with guaranteed therapeutic benefits.”

“However, criminal organizations that manufacture fake medications took advantage of the high demand.” “The treatment of the patients will suffer as a result,” he warned.

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The strain on China’s 1.4 billion-person health system is primarily attributable to the high costs of medical supplies, which were under the grip of international pharmaceutical behemoths.

In order to lower costs for its residents and minimize the enormous trade deficit between the two nations, India has been able to convince China to accept its pharmaceutical products.

Indian cancer medications were once well-known for their effectiveness and low cost.

Given its popularity, a Chinese movie titled “Dying to Survive” that depicted cancer patients surviving on illegally imported Indian medications enjoyed appeal in China.