On January 9, Fosun Foundation, together with Fosun Pharma and Henan Genuine Biotech Co., Ltd., announced that they will donate 100 million yuan worth of oral drug Azvudine to rural areas in China. This batch of medicines will be donated to rural areas in the central and western regions in stages, covering 180 counties.

Azvudine is an antiviral drug which acts as a reverse transcriptase inhibitor. It was discovered for the treatment of Hepatitis C and has since been investigated for use against other viral diseases such as AIDS and COVID-19, for which it was granted conditional approval in China. On August 9, 2022, the National Health Commission included Azvudine in the "Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for COVID-19 (Ninth Edition)", and Azvudine was included in the medical insurance. On January 6, 2023, Azvudine was once again included in the tenth edition of the "Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for COVID-19".

Since August 2022, Azvudine has been delivered to 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country. Azvudine has a clear mechanism of action and a definite therapeutic effect. The real-world evidence shows that early antiviral treatment is more beneficial to the elderly or patients with high risk factors for developing severe disease.

In order to help rural areas survive the epidemic smoothly, starting from January 6, the Fosun Foundation will also cooperate with Fosun and external partners to carry out corresponding medication and health management training for rural grassroots medical workers in the form of online live broadcasts and online consultations.