What’s new: Covid patients in China can now buy U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.’s antiviral drug Paxlovid online after presenting a positive test result.
An online Covid counseling clinic run by Chinese health care company 111 Inc. has begun selling the pill for 2,980 yuan ($427) per box. Chinese medical institutions buy the drug for a flat price of 2,300 yuan per box.
The background: On Monday, the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued a notice allowing medical institutions to prescribe drugs used to treat Covid-related symptoms online.
Paxlovid was approved for emergency use in China in February. It’s used to treat Covid patients suffering from mild to moderate symptoms, but are at high risk of developing a severe case, especially those with other conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Before the drug was made available online, it was primarily prescribed to patients admitted in hospitals.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
