Drug purchasing and delivery platforms cooperate with pharmacies to offer self-testing reagents, in the face of another severe coronavirus outbreak across the country
Meituan Maiyao (Chinese: 美团买药), an online medical service provider under Chinese delivery giant Meituan (3690: HK), was the first platform in China to open pre-sale for home-use Covid-19 test products on March 13.
China’s National Medical Products Administration approved the sale of five coronavirus self-testing products on March 12, with kits from five more companies authorized a day later.
The 10 approved brands are all domestic companies, including Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech (300482) (Chinese: 广州万孚生物), BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology (300676) (Chinese: 华大基因), Beijing Jinwofu Bioengineering Technology (Chinese: 北京金沃夫), Nanjing Vazyme Biotech (688105) (Chinese: 南京诺唯赞), and Beijing Savant Biotechnology (Chinese: 北京华科泰生物).
Users can find the reagent in Meituan app by entering “Meituan Maiyao” or searching for “Covid-19 antigen self-test.” Deliveries are expected to start from March 20.
The price of a self-testing kit on Meituan Maiyao is CNY 32.80 (USD 5.16). People with certain symptoms, placed under quarantine or in need of self-test can follow the instruction and perform the test at home. The result will come out in 15 to 20 minutes.
The pharmaceutical e-commerce platform says it has cooperated with several chain pharmacies such as LBX Pharmacy (Chinese: 老百姓大药房), Guoda Pharmacy (Chinese: 国大药房), Cowell Health (Chinese: 高济医疗), Haiwang Xingchen Health Pharmacy(Chinese: 海王星辰健康药房), and Dashanlin Pharmacy (Chinese: 大参林药房). Self-testing products are expected to be launched in offline pharmacies within a week, in addition to a 30-minute home delivery service.
Meituan Maiyao’s early move to release home-use reagents for Covid-19 antigen put it ahead of other Chinese e-pharmacies or drug delivery platforms including Ali Heath (0241: HK), JD Health (6618: HK), and Dingdang Medicine Express (Chinese: 叮当快药).