Merck & Co's COVID-19 antiviral treatment molnupiravir was priced at 1,500 yuan per bottle in Tianjin, according to the medical purchasing centre on Tuesday.
Each bottle contains 40 pills - enough for one course of treatment - according to the centre. The treatment, which is sold under the brand name Lagevrio, was approved for adults with mild to medium COVID infections and a high risk of progressing to severe cases.
China granted conditional approval for the import of molnupiravir, which was developed by Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Merck has a deal in place for China's Sinopharm to import and distribute the medication.
