First batch of Paxlovid pills distributed in Zhejiang

The first batch of 50 boxes of Paxlovid, an oral antiviral pill used to treat COVID-19, was delivered to Quzhou People's Hospital in the early morning on March 25 following the emergence of several COVID-19 cases in different cities in Zhejiang province.

"At present, Paxlovid is the first choice for antiviral therapy," said Sheng Jifang, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the First Affiliated Hospital of the College of Medicine at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou.

The pill is a combination of two antiviral drugs - nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.

Intel Group, with the support of the Zhejiang Provincial Government, purchased the first batch of 300 boxes of Paxlovid on March 22.

In February, the National Medical Products Administration, China's top drug regulator, gave conditional approval for Pfizer's COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, making it the first oral pill for the disease approved in the country.