(Yicai Global) Aug. 3 -- China’s first oral medication for Covid-19, which was approved to go to market by regulators last month, has started mass production. Around three billion tablets are expected to be produced each year, the government of central Henan province said on its website today.

Developer Genuine Biotech will use its own plant in Pingdingshan, Henan province to make the drug. With an area of 32,000 square meters, it can produce three billion units of the oral medication a year. And there is still space for new devices to expand capacity, if need be, the report said. Beijing Union Pharmaceutical Factory has been entrusted to produce the drug, Yicai Global learned.

Azvudine was greenlit by Chinese authorities in July last year to treat HIV-infected patients. After the pandemic broke out, Genuine Biotech began to apply it on Covid-19 patients. Clinical tests have shown that it can eliminate the novel coronavirus in around five days. It protects against the alpha, beta, delta and omicron variants.

A course of Azvudine lasts for seven days, with a daily dose of five milligrams, founder Wang Zhaoyang said. The pills cost CNY25.86 (USD3.83) per mg for the treatment of HIV and should not be more for Covid-19, experts said.

Editor: Kim Taylor