China's First Homegrown COVID-19 Pill, Azvudine, is Priced at 270 Yuan Per Bottle

China's first domestic oral drug for COVID-19 treatment, Genuine Biotech's Azuvidine Tablets, is reportedly to be priced at 270 yuan for each bottle, which contains 35 tablets (1mg/tablet).¹

How Much Does Azvudine Cost for a Whole Course

Azvudine was approved on July 25, 2022, for treating adult patients with the normal type of COVID-19 pneumonia. The recommended dosage is 5 mg (five 1mg tablets) per day for a course no longer than 14 days.² Thus, a course of Azvudine costs 540 yuan.

Related: China Approves First Domestic Oral Drug for COVID-19

Is Azvudine Ready for Commercialization

Genuine Biotech started the production of Azvudine Tablets on August 2 in its Pingdingshan base. With the current production capacity, the base is able to reach an annual output of 10 billion tablets.³

According to the company's listing application submitted to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Genuine Biotech has reached agreements with multiple Chinese suppliers, including Peking Union Pharmaceutical Factory, to manufacture the active ingredient and the finished dosage form of Azvudine Tablets.⁴

In terms of sales channels, Fosun Pharma has reached a partnership with Genuine Biotech to commercialize Azvudine in Chinese mainland and other countries/regions worldwide (except Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, and other countries/regions in South America).⁵ It seems that Genuine Biotech has made sound preparations to commercialize Azvudine.

How Are Other COVID-19 Drugs Doing in China

The only other oral COVID-19 drug marketed in China is Pfizer's Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets). It was approved on Feb. 11, 2022, for treating adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 with the risk of developing into severe conditions.

Related: China Approves Pfizer's Paxlovid, Encouraging COVID-19 Drug Development

Paxlovid is sold at 2,300 yuan per box containing 20 nirmatrelvir tablets and 10 ritonavir tablets. The dosage is 300mg nirmatrelvir (two 150mg tablets) and 100 mg ritonavir (one 100mg tablet) taken together twice per day for 5 days. Thus, a course of Paxlovid costs 2,300 yuan. So far, more than 20,000 boxes of Paxlovid have been delivered to at least 8 provinces in China.

The only COVID-19 therapeutic injection marketed in China is the Chinese domestic company Brii Bioscience's Amubarvimab/Romlusevimab. The neutralizing antibody combination therapy was approved in December 2021 for treating adults and pediatric patients (aged 12-17, weighing ≥ 40kg) with the mild or normal type of COVID-19 at high risk of developing into severe disease, including hospitalization and death. The indication of treating pediatric patients is under conditional approval. The drug was first used in Shenzhen in July 2022 and its unit price is reportedly to be less than 10,000 yuan.⁶

There are other COVID-19 drugs being developed by Chinese companies. China National Medical Products Administration will probably approve more drugs to contain further outbreaks of COVID-19.

Read More:

• China Approves Eleven COVID-19 Antigen Self-test Kits

• Introduction to China's COVID-19 Vaccines