Genuine Biotech and Fosun Pharma Donated 100 Million Yuan's Worth of Oral Drug for COVID-19, Azvudine, to Rural Areas

On Jan. 9, 2023, Genuine Biotech, together with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Fosun Pharma"), donated 100 million yuan's worth of oral drug for COVID-19, Azvudine, to rural areas in China through the Shanghai Fosun Foundation (hereinafter referred to as "Fosun Foundation"). The medicines will be donated in several phases to rural areas in Midwestern China, covering 180 counties.

Azvudine is the first oral small-molecule drug in China for the treatment of COVID-19 infection with fully independent intellectual property and was conditionally approved for marketing by the NMPA on Jul. 25, 2022. On Aug. 9, 2022, the General Office of the National Health Commission and the Office of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine included Azvudine in the Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline for COVID-19 (9th Edition). At the same time, the National Healthcare Security Administration also included Azvudine in medical insurance. On Jan. 6, 2023, Azvudine was once again included in the 10th edition of the Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline for COVID-19. Since Aug. 2022, Azvudine has been gradually distributed for use in 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China. Azvudine has a clear mechanism of action and a definitive treatment effect. Real-world data show that early antiviral treatment is more beneficial for the elderly or patients with high risk factors for progression to severe diseases.

To protect people's health, local pandemic prevention efforts are currently focusing on the goal of "protecting health and preventing serious illnesses", actively implementing targeted measures such as optimizing vaccination and improving the preparation of drugs and testing reagents related to the treatment of COVID-19 infections. Multiple hospitals across China have released diagnosis and treatment guidelines for COVID-19, advising primary care doctors to hold on to the "golden 72 hours" principle and accelerating the appropriate use of antiviral drugs in the treatment of COVID-19, which have become key initiatives to effectively protect the health of all populations, especially the elderly with underlying diseases.

On Jan. 6, Fosun Foundation launched the "Rural Warm Winter Campaign" to assist rural areas in smoothly overcoming the pandemic. In addition to donating medicines, it will also collaborate with Fosun and external partners to provide training for rural primary care workers on medicine use and health management through live streaming and online consultation.

Under the instruction of the National Health Commission, Fosun Foundation, together with China Population Welfare Foundation and China Foundation for Guangcai Program, initiated the Rural Doctors Health Poverty Alleviation Program in Dec. 2017. Over the past five years, the program has covered 73 counties in Midwestern China, supporting about 24,000 rural doctors and benefiting nearly 3 million rural households. With Genuine Biotech on board, this donation will cover over 100 more counties in Midwestern China that are in desperate need of assistance, in addition to the covered 73 counties.

Wang Chaoyang, founder of Genuine Biotech, said, "As China's pandemic prevention and control efforts enter a new phase, the need for COVID-19 treatment in the vast rural areas grows more pressing. Genuine Biotech has always been very concerned about the prevention and control of the pandemic in rural areas, and will always adhere to the people-centric principle. We will always stand by our duty and do our best to protect people's health where the country needs it most and when the people need it most. We look forward to assisting the rural areas in overcoming the challenges of the pandemic by using Azvudine, and to ensuring the demand for medicines among the grassroots."

Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International and founder of Fosun Foundation, said that through the resident team members of the Rural Doctors Program, we have been paying close attention to the pandemic prevention and control in rural areas, and we are also particularly concerned about the difficulties and needs of rural doctors. "We hope that Azvudine tablets and our series of supporting measures can help the rural doctors, relieve the pressure of diagnosis and treatment in rural areas, and jointly build a solid line of defense for rural health."