China removes Pfizer’s COVID drug from national list

Chinese health authorities refused to put the Pfizer-developed COVID-19 drug on a national reimbursement list that would have allowed patients to get it at a cheaper price across the country, saying it was too expensive.

Paxlovid, an oral drug developed by New York-based drugmaker Pfizer, has been in high demand in China since the country began phasing out its “zero COVID” restrictions and a wave of infections began sweeping the country.

Although it’s supposed to be prescribed by doctors, that hasn’t stopped people from rushing to buy it on their own through any means at their disposal, including buying Indian generic versions of the drug over the internet, reports the local media.

Health authorities can take advantage of bulk purchases to lower prices in negotiations with pharmaceuticals, which, in turn, can provide a steady source of revenue.

A medicine must be included in the reimbursement list to be covered by the national insurance system. China will include two other COVID-19 medicines, the Chinese-made antiviral Azvudine and the Chinese herbal medicine mixture Qingfei Paidu Granules, the National Health Security Administration said in a statement on Sunday.

Paxlovid will continue to be available to those patients who can afford it. Paxlovid and Azvudine are prescription medications used to prevent mild cases of COVID-19 from becoming severe.

Although the government has blocked the importation of vaccines not made in China, such as Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, in February 2022 it approved the importation of the pill developed by the company.

The country is dealing with a major surge in coronavirus cases, especially in big cities like Beijing and Chengdu. Sunday marked the first day in nearly three years that visitors no longer had to quarantine when traveling to China.

Source: Associated Press