In China, where the number of Corona 19 patients is exploding, the black market is said to prevail due to shortages of medicines. Chinese authorities have decided to reduce the time it takes to review and approve the drugs.
Bloomberg News said on the 20th (local time) that the number of Corona 19 patients is exploding due to the easing of quarantine measures by the Chinese government. When the supply of medicines became insufficient, a black market of medicines was formed on SNS.
A Chinese netizen posted an article on social media saying, “I bought a large amount of Paxlobid generic drug from India” and “It can be delivered immediately after payment.” Currently, Paxrovid trades at 2,300 yuan (about 430,000 won) per bottle with permission from the National Drug Supervision Administration in China, but it’s in short supply and expensive, so they’re looking for a generic drug made in India.
It is also known that Chinese citizens who can afford it are paying more to purchase Corona 19 treatments through overseas suppliers. In fact, one netizen revealed that he bought a box of Pax Lovid from a Hong Kong vendor for 5,800 yuan (about 1 million won), double the normal price.
Antipyretics sold on social media in China. catch WeiboNot only coronavirus treatments, but also cold medicines and fever reducers are being traded on the black market as supplies run out. Chinese netizens have even posted pictures on social media of antipyretics sold in ziplock bags.
As this situation continued, on the 21st, China’s National Drug Supervision Administration announced at a press conference, “We will operate an emergency approval procedure to speed up the review and approval of urgently needed drugs for the clinical treatment of COVID-19” .
So far, Chinese authorities have conditionally approved 5 types of COVID-19 vaccines, approved 8 types of other vaccines, 11 types of therapeutic drugs, and 128 types of various test reagents. However, confusion persists in China’s drug supply.
In this regard, the New York Times criticized: “The shortage of medicines is stoking anxiety and anger among the Chinese people” and “If the blockade had been lifted gradually over a period of about two months, this confusion would not have occurred” .
Donga.com reporter Jaeho Choi cjh1225@donga.com
