Chinese regulators focus on homegrown anti-COVID therapies: report

Seven homegrown drugs have been granted approval in the country.

Drug regulators in China have been focusing on approving homegrown antiviral therapies with the ability to tackle new COVID-19 variants, said a report from GlobalData.

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has conditionally approved two homegrown oral drugs for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.

According to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center, there are currently 16 COVID-19 drugs in clinical development in China, five of which are in Phase III. Most of these drugs in the Phase III stage are targeting various subtypes of COVID-19 omicron variants.

Currently, seven homegrown Chinese drugs have been granted either official or conditional approval for treating COVID-19.

Anupama Mishra, pharma analyst at GlobalData, said there are very limited antiviral drugs currently marketed in China, raising a need to increase the number of approved therapies.

“It is important for Chinese pharmaceutical companies to increase market access by launching mass production and distribution of COVID-19 therapies at affordable consumer prices. Further approval of effective COVID-19 therapies will strengthen the healthcare infrastructure by increasing clinical recovery and thereby reducing hospitalizations,” said Mishra.