(Yicai Global) Dec. 14 -- People with Covid-19 in China can now get access to two oral drugs, Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Genuine Biotech’s Azvudine, through the fever clinics of online hospitals.

Patients have to upload their positive Covid-19 test results to get prescriptions from online hospitals to buy the drugs. Paxlovid sells for CNY2,980 (USD428) a pack of 30 tablets, while Azvudine costs CNY310 (USD44.5) for a pack of 35 pills.

Paxlovid is used to treat adults with mild to moderate symptoms and at high risk of progressing to a severe illness. The National Medical Products Administration approved its conditional import in February. A month later, China National Pharmaceutical Group signed an agreement with Pfizer to market Paxlovid in the Chinese mainland.

Pfizer also joined hands with Huahai Pharmaceutical and Ascletis Pharma in October to manufacture in China two main ingredients of Paxlovid: nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.

HIV medicine Azvudine was approved in July to treat Covid-19 and became the first domestic oral small molecule drug for the disease. Genuine Biotech entered into an deal with Fosun Pharmaceutical Group later that month, allowing the latter to be responsible for the exclusive commercialization of the oral Covid-19 drug.

Fosun has listed Azvudine on the medical insurance platforms of 31 provinces, covering more than 2,000 hospitals in the country. The company is also contacting several online medical platforms to make the drug available through multiple channels to meet home treatment needs.

China relaxed its Covid-19 controls recently. The State Council, the country’s cabinet, issued a notice on Dec. 12, clarifying that medical institutions can prescribe online for the treatment of symptoms related to the disease. It also encouraged the commissioning of eligible third parties to deliver medications to patients’ home.

Editor: Peter Thomas