(Yicai Global) Jan. 4 -- China’s medical regulators have greenlit 26 medicines for the treatment of Covid-19 in the past seven days as cases surge amid an easing of pandemic prevention measures in the country.

Thirteen drugs were permitted by the National Medical Products Administration to go to market yesterday, nine of which are fever-reducing drugs and pain killers recommended by the National Health Commission. The rest are different types of medical oxygen.

And on Dec. 30, another 12 were approved, including an ibuprofen suspension to treat Covid-19 infections, as well as the import of US pharma giant Merck’s Covid-19 pill Molnupiravir.

China’s drugmakers are hiking capacity of fever-reducing medicines such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen and the situation is already much better, Securities Times reported. By accelerating government approvals and boosting supply, the temporary shortage has been alleviated.

Last month fever-reducing medicines and painkillers sold out as people rushed to stock up amid the new wave. But the imbalance between supply and demand eased somewhat during the three-day New Year holiday. China has sufficient raw materials and many drugmakers are working longer hours, industry insiders said earlier.

Editor: Kim Taylor