By Sophie Yu and Martin Quin Pollard
BEIJING (Reuters) – When Li’s 83-year-old father with diabetes began coughing and complaining of body aches last month, the Beijing resident became anxious about finding a treatment for COVID-19 in case his parent had caught the virus sweeping town.
He heard at the moment that Pfizer’s anti-viral drug Paxlovid was an efficient treatment, but patients could only get it prescribed in the event that they were admitted to hospital, and provided that the drug was in stock.
The primary hospital they visited conducted a CT scan that showed his lungs were infected, but turned them away, saying no beds were available, said Li, who only gave his surname on account of sensitivity over how authorities might view his account.
After two more days of frantic calls to families and friends, a contact finally found them an area at one other hospital, nevertheless it took an extra antigen test and second CT scan before it agreed to prescribe the drug.
Along with his father admitted to an intensive care unit, Li was nervous that it had taken too long to get effective treatment.
“I’m undecided if Paxlovid may help him. I believe it’s because when he got the drugs he already had the virus for every week,” Li told Reuters on Jan.12.
“Now we are able to do little but pray.”
His father died the identical day.
Li’s experience, local media reports and online posts bear testimony to the difficulties faced obtaining Paxlovid in China through official channels.
Paxlovid – a mix of two anti viral drugs – is one among the few foreign oral treatments approved by Beijing and a clinical trial has found it to have reduced hospitalisations in high-risk patients by around 90%.
Having been approved in February last yr, Paxlovid was scarcely utilized in China until December when the federal government began lifting its strict containment policy, and wave of COVID infections began to construct.
Chinese authorities have acknowledged that supplies of Paxlovid are still insufficient to satisfy demand, at the same time as Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said last week that hundreds of courses of the treatment were shipped to the country last yr and prior to now couple of weeks tens of millions more were shipped.
“Pfizer is actively collaborating with Chinese authorities and all stakeholders to secure an adequate supply of Paxlovid in China. We remain committed to fulfilling the COVID-19 treatment needs of Chinese patients and partnering with the Chinese government,” the corporate said in an announcement.
Racing to defend against a rising death toll, China has also approved Merck & Co’s COVID antiviral drug and is reviewing a treatment developed by Japan’s Shionogi.
Paxlovid is roofed by state insurance — albeit temporarily until the tip of March — meaning patients in theory would only have to pay 198 yuan ($29), a tenth of its usual price.
But China doesn’t provide data on what number of treatment courses are supplied and where it could possibly be purchased, forcing most patients to depend on media reports, word-of-mouth and even importing through unauthorised channels within the grey market.
Those that do manage to seek out a supplier often find yourself paying exorbitant prices, as demand has shot up amid a large wave of COVID-19 infections.
The official Guangzhou Each day reported that patients on the United Family Healthcare hospital in Guangdong were paying 6,000 yuan ($891) for health checks before being allowed to get Paxlovid priced at 2,300 yuan on the hospital.
The hospital didn’t immediately reply to a Reuters’ request for comment.
Health data firm Airfinity estimated in December that China would wish 49 million courses of the COVID treatment over the subsequent five months, with over 22 million needed in January alone.
The Pfizer drug will be also purchased for two,170 yuan with prescription via online platforms, nevertheless it typically sells out inside seconds.
Several other people described to Reuters how they turned to the grey market to buy Paxlovid. Some were trying to treat sick relatives, while others wanted it just in case.
Chen Jun, a resident of China’s southern Hainan Province, said he bought Paxlovid from a supplier introduced by a business partner, who said the drugs was coming from Hong Kong.
Chen paid 20,000 yuan ($2,972) on Jan. 2 for 2 boxes for his elderly parents, that suffer from cancer, and he said that some people had paid double that price.
“You may think it low cost once your members of the family are in need, because anything is best than going to a hospital now,” he said. “I do know individuals who paid 20,000 yuan for one box of the drugs.”
One other buyer who gave his name as Ray said he managed to get two boxes from america, where supplies are still ample and a health care provider’s prescription will be obtained after a web-based consultation.
“It’s totally straightforward, they do not ask questions,” he said. Having made the web purchase, he then asked a friend there to assist courier it to China.
An analyst at a Chinese securities house, who requested anonymity due to sensitivities over the topic, said his boss went to Hong Kong to fill up on Paxlovid to gift clients because it was more valued than a preferred, expensive liquor.
“It’s a greater gift than Moutai.”
($1 = 6.7072 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by Sophie Yu, Martin Pollard and Albee Zhang; Additional reporting by Michael Erman in Recent York; Writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Miyoung Kim & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.