A drug recently produced by the Northeast Pharmaceutical Factory in northeast China's Liaoning Province has brought hope to China's acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) sufferers.
Zidovudine or AZT, the first AIDS drug to have approval for large-scale, world-wide production, is very effective in reducing mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
In the past due to the lack of locally made anti-AIDS drugs, many patients in China have had to use imported AZT drugs which usually cost 70,000 yuan (about 8,434 US dollars) per person annually.
At the end of 2000, China was reported to have 22,517 people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. As most live in rural or poverty-stricken areas, drug costs have been astronomical.
Analysts believe that the lower-priced AZT produced by Northeast Pharmaceutical Factory has a higher curative effect and will greatly ease patients' symptoms.
Sources say that the drug has already been widely exported.
It is learned the related sectors will use their technical advantage to develop more derivatives and to build the nation's first anti-AIDS drug base.
To date, there are 17 varieties of anti-AIDS drugs in the world, seven of which have been imported by China.
(China Daily October 18,2001)
