(Yicai) April 26 -- China needs to implement measures to take the lead in the market for Artemisinin, a Chinese herbal therapy for malarial fever, according to the head of the country’s technical expert group for malaria elimination.

China should introduce a top-level design for the Artemisinin industry, conduct joint research, solve the key technological bottlenecks to enhance the international competitiveness of its Artemisinin drugs, and adjust Artemisinin medicines’ regimen and combination therapy to effectively deal with drug resistance, Gao Qi, who is also a member of the World Health Organization Malaria Policy Advisory Group, told Yicai.

In 1972, Tu Youyou and her team discovered Artemisinin, which revolutionized global anti-malaria treatment and helped the Chinese scientist win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015. Malaria cases in African countries accounted for 94 percent of the global total in 2022.

China produces over 85 percent of the world’s raw materials used to make Artemisinin, but finished Chinese Artemisinin drugs only account for less than 15 percent of the global total, Gao said. China is the birthplace of Artemisinin but has less influence than India in the industry, with many Africans believing Artemisinin medicines come from India or Europe, he noted.

The main reason for China’s weak position in the Artemisinin industry is that Chinese companies were at a disadvantage in the international market in the 1980s as they lacked experience in international medicine rules, such as drug trials, marketing applications, and patent protection, Gao explained.

Coalitions of multinationals, including Novartis and Sanofi, raised global awareness of Artemisinin drugs but gave many patents for Artemisinin-based combination therapies to their members, allowing them to overtake Chinese drugmakers, Guo added.

In the 21st century, India had the advantage of generic drugs and familiarity with international rules, so it grabbed the market share of global pharmaceutical giants and became the main buyer of Chinese Artemisinin raw materials.

Editor: Futura Costaglione