China’s demand for Indian anti Covid generic drugs including Paxlovid– Pfizer’s oral drug is increasing amid a surge in Covid cases. This is despite the fact that Beijing does not approve of the sale of Indian generic drugs. More than 50,000 boxes of Indian generic drugs have been sold in less than a month since Beijing abruptly withdrew its zero Covid policy, an Observer Research Foundation report highlighted.

Even as Chinese doctors have warned citizens not to take Indian drugs, the local media there have said that since April this year, the Indian generic version has become hugely popular among customers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, the report said.

The ORF also noted that Chinese reports have highlighted that “anti-COVID Indian generic drugs sold at RMB 1000 box” and these appeared on Weibo’s hot search list in the last few days.

Paxlovid, which helps in reducing the severe disease rate and death rate by 82.5 per cent, particularly in the elderly population, is in short supply in the Chinese market, the ORF report said. “At present, Pfizer’s Paxlovid is only sold in certain hospitals in China, and the supply is highly insufficient,” the ORF said.

China has not provided any data to the World Health Organisation on the new hospitalisation cases since the resurgence of the virus.

The BF 7 variant which has led to a surge in infection cases in China has been prevalent in several countries including India for many months. Experts said that the surge in cases in China may have been due to the vaccine coverage—many elders in the country have also not been vaccinated. Efficacy of the homegrown vaccines has also come into question.

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