Azvudine Tablet Launches on National Home Healthcare Platform, Enabling Confirmed Patients to Consult and Purchase Online; Company Submits New IPO Prospectus

In recent days, the launch of online consultation and prescription services for oral COVID-19 medications on internet healthcare platforms has drawn significant public attention. Starting December 19, the domestically produced oral COVID-19 drug Azvudine tablets became available through the COVID-19 outpatient clinic of the “National Home Healthcare Security Platform.” Confirmed COVID-19 patients can now consult with doctors online and purchase the medication. A reporter promptly tested the service.

Via the “WeDoctor” WeChat Official Account > Medical Services > Home Healthcare Coverage, the reporter accessed the “COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic” on the National Home Healthcare Coverage Platform. The clinic indicated that medications were in stock, with a purchase limit of two boxes per person. To obtain a consultation and prescription, users were required to provide at least one of the following as proof of COVID-19 diagnosis: medical records of a COVID-19 diagnosis, a prescription for COVID-19 treatment, or a photo of a positive antigen test result/nucleic acid test report. Only then could the purchase be made.

After the reporter provided a detailed description of their symptoms and uploaded a photo confirming a positive antigen test, they were quickly attended to by a physician at an internet hospital. Following a consultation on the patient’s condition, the doctor issued an electronic prescription for Azvudine tablets (1 mg × 35 tablets) and cautioned, “This medication should not be taken by patients with severe hepatic or renal impairment.”

After the e-prescription was approved, the reporter paid for the consultation, medication, and other related fees. The entire consultation process took less than five minutes. According to the platform, the medications would subsequently be delivered to the patient’s door by the logistics team of the Wuzhen Internet Hospital Pharmacy.

“Azvudine” is one of the two oral anti-COVID-19 drugs mentioned in the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (Trial Version 9), and it is China’s first approved orally administered small-molecule therapeutic drug for COVID-19 developed independently. In clinical studies on the treatment of COVID-19, Azvudine has demonstrated unique advantages due to its strong target specificity, low oral dosage, high therapeutic efficacy, minimal toxic side effects, broad applicability, and significant effectiveness against various SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Professor Chang Junbiao, the inventor of Azvudine and Vice President of Zhengzhou University, stated in an interview with the media that Azvudine, as a nucleoside analog inhibiting viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), can specifically act on the RdRp of SARS-CoV-2, thereby inhibiting viral replication. The drug demonstrates strong target specificity and long-lasting efficacy.

Wei Xuemei, Deputy Director of the Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Center at the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Chief Physician, pointed out that some patients with underlying conditions require early antiviral intervention to prevent progression to severe disease. Individuals at higher risk of developing severe illness include those aged 60 years or older, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), those with comorbid cancer, individuals taking corticosteroids or immunosuppressants, obese patients, women in late-stage pregnancy, and heavy smokers. For these high-risk groups, vital signs should be closely monitored during symptomatic treatment to prevent progression to severe disease, and early intervention is essential.

In accordance with the requirements set forth in the “Notice on Doing a Good Job in Internet Medical Services for COVID-19,” released by the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism on the 12th, medical institutions (including internet hospitals and medical institutions providing internet diagnosis and treatment services) may, through internet diagnosis and treatment platforms and in compliance with the relevant provisions of the latest edition of the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, issue online prescriptions for patients exhibiting COVID-19-related symptoms and those undergoing home care as specified in the “Guidelines for Home Treatment of Individuals Infected with the Novel Coronavirus.” Furthermore, these institutions are encouraged to engage qualified third-party providers to deliver medications directly to patients’ homes.

As COVID-19 infections continue to rise across China and drug supplies remain critically scarce, the accelerated launch of online sales for oral COVID-19 medications, such as Azvudine tablets, on major internet healthcare platforms will further enhance the accessibility of these drugs and better meet the home-treatment needs of more patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

The “National Home Healthcare Security Platform,” which has prescribed Azvudine to journalists, was initiated by the Internet Medicine Branch of the China Health Care and International Exchange Promotion Association, and jointly established by WeDoctor and the Sanming Procurement Alliance in collaboration with medical institutions and physicians nationwide. The platform provides services such as an online “COVID-19 Outpatient Clinic” via internet hospitals, medication purchases for chronic disease follow-up visits, home health protection kits, online psychological support, and remote consultations for COVID-19 patients eligible for home treatment and individuals requiring follow-up care for chronic conditions. Users can conveniently access the platform for consultations and medication purchases by navigating to “Home Healthcare Security” under the “Medical Services” menu in the “WeDoctor” WeChat official account, or by logging into the “WeDoctor App.”