China Grants First Approval for Self-Developed Oral COVID-19 Treatment

Parents in Shanghai, China, are waiting for examinees wearing masks around the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination) test sites on the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

China has approved the use of its domestically developed oral COVID-19 treatment for the first time.

According to the state-run news agency Xinhua on the 26th, the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) conditionally granted emergency approval the day before for Azvudine (阿玆夫·Azvudine), a COVID-19 treatment jointly developed by Henan Zhengsheng Biological Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhengzhou University.

With the approval of Azvudine, local media reported that it can now compete with Pfizer's COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, which was approved for use in China in February.

This treatment can only be taken by adult patients showing general COVID-19 symptoms under a doctor's prescription. Azvudine is the first oral COVID-19 treatment developed domestically in China.

Approximately 650 kg of Azvudine raw material has already been produced, and production facilities capable of manufacturing 5 tons annually have been established. Azvudine is also undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment indications in Brazil and Russia.

In China, more than ten COVID-19 treatments, including oral medications, are being developed additionally.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.