China’s Demand for Pfizer’s Paxlovid Skyrockets, but Supplies Are Limited

China’s rapid unwinding of Covid restrictions has triggered a wave of stockpiling of antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid, which is made by U.S. pharma giant Pfizer Inc., but access to this drug remains limited due to the low domestic supply.

On Tuesday, Chinese health care company 111 Inc. began selling Paxlovid on its app for 2,980 yuan ($427) per box, but just hours later the pill was pulled from the online store.