Current Situation: Respiratory Disease Peak Season


On November 24, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council issued a notice requiring local authorities to strengthen prevention and control efforts against COVID-19 and other key infectious diseases during the winter and spring seasons. The notice pointed out that this winter and next spring, China may face an overlapping epidemic situation involving multiple respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.


Oseltamivir Phosphate Sales Surge in November, Multiple Companies Hold Approvals


From the perspective of pharmacies and platforms, the sales of medications related to the respiratory system have also seen a significant increase. On December 6, reporters from the New Beijing News learned from the data center of 1 Pharmacy Network that since entering November, the sales of anti-infective, cough-relieving and asthma-relieving, cold, and antipyretic and analgesic drugs on B2B pharmaceutical platforms have continued to rise. On a month-over-month basis, compared with October, the sales of anti-infective drugs in November increased by 63%, cough-relieving and asthma-relieving drugs by 38%, cold drugs by 37%, and antipyretic and analgesic drugs by 23%. On a week-over-week basis, within the week of November 20 to 26, the sales of anti-infective drugs increased by 67.4%, antipyretic and analgesic drugs by 22.2%, and cough-relieving and asthma-relieving drugs by 14.1%. On 1 Pharmacy Network's B2C pharmaceutical platform, the sales of oseltamivir, a representative antiviral drug for influenza, surged significantly. The overall sales in November were nearly five times higher than in October, and the average daily sales in November were six times those of October.


Oseltamivir phosphate is an anti-influenza drug. Data disclosed by Saibailan shows that in the first quarter of 2023, oseltamivir still accounted for 97.5% of the sales of influenza drugs, far outpacing other varieties. Oseltamivir phosphate from HEC CJ PHARM is the leading brand in the anti-influenza market. According to observations of popular brands in influenza medication, in the first quarter, oseltamivir phosphate granules and capsules from HEC CJ PHARM collectively occupied 84.6% of the market share.


HEC CJ PHARM's 2023 semi-annual report shows that during the reporting period, the sales revenue of its core product Oseltamivir Phosphate (brand name: Kewei) granules and capsules reached 2.881 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 186.4%. This sales revenue accounted for 89.9% of HEC CJ PHARM's total turnover during the reporting period.


Reporters from The Beijing News queried the National Medical Products Administration's drug database and found that, as of December 6, oseltamivir phosphate is available in three forms: granules, capsules, and dry suspension, with a total of 50 drug approval numbers. Apart from HEC CJ PHARM, numerous companies hold approval for this drug, including BrightGene Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Zhongshan Wanhan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Huarun 39 Zhongyi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanghai Sine Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and CSPC Ouyi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Oseltamivir phosphate granules were originally an exclusive formulation of HEC CJ PHARM but now face competition from Huayi Pharmaceutical/Zhirun Pharmaceutical and Jiudian Pharmaceutical.


In the first half of the year, sales of several respiratory system chemical drugs in physical stores exceeded 100 million yuan


The TOP20 list of chemical drugs (including biologics) for respiratory systems in China's urban physical pharmacies in the first half of this year, released by Menet, shows that Paracetamol, Artificial Cow-bezoar and Chlorphenamine Maleate Granules for Children ranked first with sales exceeding 400 million yuan. The sales of Loratadine Tablets, Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Hydrochloride Tablets, and Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Hydrochloride Capsules all exceeded 300 million yuan. In addition, the sales of Budesonide and Formoterol Fumarate Dihydrate Inhalation Powder (Ⅱ), Ambroxol Hydrochloride Oral Solution, Budesonide Suspension for Inhalation, Budesonide Nasal Spray, and Montelukast Sodium Tablets all exceeded 100 million yuan, entering the TOP10.


Pediatric Paracetamol, Artificial Cow-bezoar and Chlorphenamine Maleate Granules are suitable for relieving symptoms such as fever, headache, soreness in the limbs, sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, and sore throat caused by common colds and influenza in children. According to a search of the National Medical Products Administration's drug database by a reporter from The Beijing News, there are as many as 265 approvals for Pediatric Paracetamol, Artificial Cow-bezoar and Chlorphenamine Maleate Granules, involving numerous enterprises such as Jianmin Group, Zhendong Anxin Biopharmaceutical, Sunflower Pharmaceutical, and China Resources Sanjiu. Data from Menet shows that in the first half of this year, the market shares of China Resources Sanjiu (Huangshi) Pharmaceutical, Sunflower Pharmaceutical Chongqing Little Sunflower Children's Pharmaceutical, and Sunflower Pharmaceutical (Xiangyang) Longzhong ranked in the top three in the sales of Pediatric Paracetamol, Artificial Cow-bezoar and Chlorphenamine Maleate Granules, with a combined share of over 40%.


Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Tablets have as many as 127 approvals, involving numerous enterprises such as Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, Shenwei Pharmaceutical, and China Resources Double-Crane Pharmaceutical. Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Capsules have 115 approvals. In contrast, there are very few approvals for Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Granules and Pediatric Paracetamol and Amantadine Granules, with only 6 and 14 respectively. Data from the Menet database shows that the market size of Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Tablets in physical pharmacies in Chinese cities has steadily increased in recent years, with sales exceeding 300 million yuan in the first half of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 34.13%. In the first half of this year, the sales of Wu Tai Gan Kang Pharmaceutical's Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Tablets in physical pharmacies in Chinese cities exceeded 200 million yuan, ranking first for several consecutive years. The sales of Zhejiang Yafeng Pharmaceutical's Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Capsules also exceeded 100 million yuan.


Reporter Wang Kala from The Beijing News

Proofread by Baoqing Liu