(Yicai) Jan. 6 -- Switzerland's Roche and other pharmaceutical companies are churning out their influenza drugs in China as a massive flu outbreak sweeps across the country during the cold winter months.

Sales of flu drugs such as Oseltamivir and Xofluza have soared more than two-and-a-half times in the last month, according to data released by Dingdang Kuaiyao, an online-to-offline drug purchasing platform.

There is plenty of Xolfuza on the market, Basel-based Roche, which is the only manufacturer of the medicine, told Yicai today. Since October last year, Xofluza packaged in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area has also been available for sale.

The number of flu cases is on the rise and 99 percent of them have been identified as Influenza A, according to the latest data from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hisun Pharmaceutical’s Favipiravir tablets are suitable for the treatment of new or recurring cases of influenza in adults and are covered by the country’s medical insurance scheme, the Taizhou-based company said. The firm’s unit in Nantong has had its application to take its Oseltamivir phosphate Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient to market approved, it added.

Goldstone Asia Pharmaceutical has many drugs for treating flu, such as its Quike compound paracetamol and amantadine hydrochloride capsules, ‘Little Quike’ granules for children and its new "Quike Clear" Oseltamivir phosphate capsules, it said.

Jiangxi Synergy Pharmaceutical produces the API celcoxib which is used in many non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it said. By inhibiting COX-2 activity, these medicines have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects and can help reduce fever and other symptoms such as headache, muscle pain and aching joints.

Dian Diagnostics offers both influenza A and B testing services, it said. Maccura Biotechnology has registered its influenza A virus antigen detection kit, which uses the colloidal gold method, and has a nine-in-one multiplex respiratory product in the works.

Goldstone Asia’s share price [SHE:300434] surged by the exchange-imposed daily limit of 20 percent to CNY9.46 (USD1.30) today. Hisun Pharma’s stock [SHA:600267] climbed 3.8 percent to end the day at CNY8.42, while Synergy Pharma’s share price [SHE:300636] advanced 3.4 percent to CNY8.01.

Editor: Kim Taylor