China gives conditional approval for oral Pfizer Paxlovid

China gave conditional approval on Saturday for the oral drug Pfizer Covid19 Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate infection but at high risk of developing severe disease.

It is the first oral anti-coronavirus drug specifically designed to treat viral infections approved in China, according to state media.

China’s top medical regulator, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) said in a statement that though the drug has been approved to treat adults with underlying conditions, more research needs to be conducted on it.

“This is an important milestone in our fight against COVID-19,” a Pfizer representative said in a statement, without providing information about procurement.

The drug can be used by those who have underlying problems like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease, according to the NMPA announcement on Saturday.

The virus first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, but has been largely suppressed in China despite a cluster outbreak.