Abstract
BackgroundAs the discoverer and a major manufacturer of artemisinin, China has made valuable contributions to malaria control and the global market of artemisinin-derived drugs. This study aims to explore the production and export status of artemisinin-derived drugs in China during 2011 and 2014 to provide a clear understanding of China’s participation in this field and also to provide guidance for its future role on global malaria control.MethodsProduction and exportation data were obtained from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) database of the People’s Republic China and monthly reports of the General Administration of Customs of China, respectively. The production volume, export volume, export value, and export area of artemisinin and its derivatives (artemether, artesunate, dihydroartemisinin), including both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs), were descripted and analysed by Microsoft Excel.ResultsBetween 2011 and 2013, the total production volume of artemisinin-derived APIs and FPPs reached 543.41 metric tons (MT) and 14.79 MT, respectively. The total export value and volume of artemisinin-derived APIs during 2012 and 2014 was US$ 211.39 million and 338.53 MT; the total export value and volume of FPPs was US$ 227.17 million and 4401.44 MT. Compared with the sharply decreasing trend of API exports each year, the export value of FPPs kept at a more stable level, with 14.66 % increase in 2013 and 5.31 % decrease in 2014. As for exportation areas, India was the largest purchaser of APIs, accounting for nearly a half of the total amount, while FPPs mainly exported to African countries.ConclusionsExports of artemisinin derivatives for China have been transforming from API-dominated to FPP-dominated. However, the exportation of artemisinin-derived drugs in China still face the challenges of small market share in the global FPP market and indirect sale of FPPs through a third country due to the deficiency in obtaining relevant certification into global market.
Highlights
As the discoverer and a major manufacturer of artemisinin, China has made valuable contributions to malaria control and the global market of artemisinin-derived drugs
Production of artemisinin‐derived active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) Between 2011 and 2013, the total production volume for artemisinin-derived APIs reached 543.41 metric tons (MT), among which artemisinin APIs accounted for the highest proportion
Production of artemisinin‐derived finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs) During the same period, the total production volume of artemisinin-derived FPPs reported in China reached 14.79 MT, significantly lower than that of artemisininderived APIs
Summary
As the discoverer and a major manufacturer of artemisinin, China has made valuable contributions to malaria control and the global market of artemisinin-derived drugs. This study aims to explore the production and export status of artemisinin-derived drugs in China during 2011 and 2014 to provide a clear understanding of China’s participation in this field and to provide guidance for its future role on global malaria control. Given the emerging issue of artemisinin resistance, research and development of non-artemisinin-based anti-malarial medicines that may take over from artemisinin derivatives in the medium term are in need. Among available anti-malarial drugs, artemisinin and its derivatives (mainly artesunate, artemether, artemotil, dihydroartemisinin) have the superiority of rapid clearance of parasitaemia and can delay the spread of drug resistance when used in combination with another effective partner drug. The promotion of ACT boosts demand for artemisininderived active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished products
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