Pharma Players in Action to Fight COVID-19

China's new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia outside Hubei Province, where the epicenter city of Wuhan is located, has been dropping for 14 consecutive days, according to the National Health Commission. Till 18th Feb, 12563 patients were released from hospitals after being cured in the mainland of China, achieving an overall cure rate of 17.3% (out of 72530 total confirmed cases), compared to the rate of 1.3% on 27 January. The figures show that treatment measures are achieving effective results across the country.

Till 18th Feb, Shanghai has reported a total of 333 infections and ruled out 1,832 suspected cases. The commission said 153 patients are stable, and a total of 161 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital. The cure rate in Shanghai reaches 48.3%, notably higher than the average rate in China.

Several antiviral drugs with inhibiting effects against the novel coronavirus have been selected by the Wuhan Institute of Virology for potential clinical trials, said the institute affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences .

A report of the findings has been submitted to the state and the Hubei provincial headquarters coordinating the fight against the epidemic for further study and deliberations to guide clinical treatment, said the institute on its website

Remdesivir, a medicine for the Ebola virus, Chloroquine, which is used to treat malaria, and anti-HIV drug Ritonavir were jointly found by the institute and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences to be good inhibitors against the coronavirus at cellular level.

Every aspect of China’s industries has been involved in the fight against the epidemic, in its own way and with its own resources. The pharmaceutical sectors, crucial as their role is, have reacted swiftly and devotedly, in the actions of the research for diagnosis vials, vaccines, treatment and mitigation drugs, as well as sourcing of medical supplies.

>> Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics Inc.

Livzon has worked closely with the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has developed a detecting method of the virus based on the identification of IgG and IgM antibodies in serum of patients suspected with infection, which can be a supplementary detecting method to the current nucleic acid testing. Livzon’s R&D, production, QA and sales professionals worked through the Chinese New Year holidays on 24/7 emergency response scheme, so as to win the time race and provide the solution as soon as possible to support the diagnosis.

>> Shanghai Shyndec-Sinopharm Rongsheng

Shanghai Shyndec acted quickly on Jan. 30 according to the arrangement requirements of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China and Sinopharm. It urgently arranged its subsidiary Sinopharm Rongsheng to produce and reserve a total of 1.25 million pieces of Milesong (Methyl prednisolone Sodium Succinate for Injection) to support the anti-epidemic frontline. Before this, the company overcome the difficulties of shortages of staff and logistics during the Spring Festival holiday and completed the emergency allocation of Milesong, Ribavirin Injection, Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Injection, and other first-aid medicines to the anti-epidemic frontline including Wuhan, Hubei, etc.

>> DuPont

On Jan. 31, DuPont announced a donation of supplies worth RMB2.55 million to help protect the safety and health of medical staff on the anti-epidemic frontline, including 16,000 protective suits, and probiotics products worth more than RMB800,000. And DuPont is increasing its production capacity of personal protective equipment in and outside China to meet the most urgent needs of the frontline as far as possible and allocating its global stock to China, especially the key infected areas.

>> Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences has recently donated RMB1 million to Hubei Charity Federation to support the government’s epidemic prevention and control. And the company is cooperating with the related health department to conduct a randomized controlled trial, to determine the safety and effectiveness of treating 2019-nCoV infected people with remdesivir and explore the new drug and therapy.

>> Yiling Pharmaceutical Inc.

Yiling Pharmaceutical has donated 10 million worth of anti-virus TCM medicines to China Red Cross, to be used in assistance to the treatment, prevention and mitigation for the disease symptoms.

>> Fosun Pharma

Fosun Pharma, with its widespread international outreach, has embarked an International Medical Supply Plan since 24th January. The project has finished procurement and transportation of over 600,000 pieces of medical supplies, including 300,000 medical masks and 270,000 protection suits from overseas to China. Those supplies are donated to hospitals to relieve the supply shortage.

>> Hengdian Group-Yousheng Meite Chinese Medicine

Hengdian Group donated RMB22 million on Jan. 31 for the epidemic prevention and control, including separately RMB10 million to the Red Cross Society of China Hubei Branch and Red Cross Society of China Zhejiang Branch, and separately RMB1 million to the Red Cross Society of China Jinhua Branch and Red Cross Society of China Dongyang Branch. Yousheng Meite Chinese Medicine under Apeloa Pharmaceutical of Hengdian Group is producing antiviral drugs at full capacity.

>> Vegamax

Vegamax has donated RMB1 million to the Red Cross Society of China Anji Branch to support novel coronavirus virus epidemic prevention. The foreign trade company under it: Hangzhou Vega is mobilizing all the forces to purchase medical masks from abroad. The first batch of 30,000 masks will be directly delivered to the Red Cross Society of China soon. And the company’s entire stock of 5,000 masks has been donated to the local frontline anti-epidemic department.

>> Yuking Tech

As one of the producers of industrial products for epidemic prevention and control subject to the emergency-use requisitioning by Shanghai Municipal Government, Yuking Tech urgently produced 3,000 bottles of (100ml) povidone-iodine disinfectant solutions in four days, creating a Pudong speed in the face of the epidemic. The company has now resumed 100% production, with employees working in three shifts and the monthly capacity expected to reach 75 tons. It’s worth mentioning that Yuking Tech has donated disinfectant solutions worth RMB360,000 in total.

>> Sichuan Yuanda Shuyang—Andon Health

To comprehensively resume production (accelerate the production of immune globulin to treat critically ill patients), Sichuan Yuanda Shuyang Pharmaceutical urgently needed 10 forehead thermometers. And it turned to China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products for help and coordination. Andon Health acted immediately after obtaining the information. The staff of both sides completed chat group creation, communication, payment, and delivery within just an hour. Let’s give a thumb up to those two member enterprises working on the anti-epidemic production frontline.

>> Angel Yeast

Angel Yeast sent Angel Nutritech Yeast Protein Powder, Yifukang Yeast Selenium & Glucan Capsules and Acerola Cherries Chewable Tablets, etc. worth RMB3 million to Wuhan on Feb. 1, to donate them to Wuhan medical staff on the epidemic prevention and control frontline. This was the second donation action of Angel Yeast following the donation of RMB2 million Yifukang products to Yichang City on Jan. 28.

>> Zixin Pharmaceutical Industrial

The company donated urgently needed pharmaceutical products worth more than RMB2 million to Hubei Province and Wuhan on Feb. 1, to jointly battle against the epidemic. The products include the Chinese patent medicine Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills recommended in the novel coronavirus pneumonia diagnosis and treatment scheme, and Yanlixiao for clearing heat and diminishing inflammation. Furthermore, Zixin Pharmaceutical Industrial has also successively donated the company’s stock and collected 10,000 sets of protective clothing, goggles and masks and dozens of tons of alcohol, etc. to medical institutions in Jilin Province and epidemic high-risk areas in China.

>> Wenzhou Weike

Wenzhou Weike Biological has donated 4 hydrogen peroxide space sterilizers to Wenzhou Central Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and 10,000 bottles of disinfectant solutions to Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention branches in 11 counties, districts and cities, with the two batches worth RMB580,000 in total.

>> Yangcheng Health Pharmaceutical

Yangcheng Health Pharmaceutical has urgently imported anti-epidemic supplies from abroad since Jan. 26, to help with the shortage of such supplies in China. It successfully ordered 1.02 million medical masks and protective shoe covers by Jan. 30. The first batch of masks and shoe covers successfully cleared customs and arrived on Jan. 31, and some of them have been donated to medical staff on the anti-epidemic frontline.

"The world is grateful for your efforts to discover how to best treat (patients) and prevent the spread of the virus,"said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), highly praising the hard work done by the medical and health workers in China.

CPhI China, as a premium trade platform for pharmaceuticals in China, will endeavor to fight  together with the pharma companies, and continue to monitor the developing situation and remain in close communication with the relevant local government bodies and other key stakeholders, to ensure everyone is informed of the latest information. We look forward to re-gathering in June in Shanghai, to reconstruct and further promote the layout of pharma trade. 

Source：NHC/China Daily/Shanghai Daily