Hechi pharmaceutical company aids global anti-virus fight

With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia sweeping across the globe, chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate, of which the raw materials and intermediates are mainly produced by a pharmaceutical company in Hechi, have become two important drugs for treating the disease.

The pharmaceutical company, Nansong Chemi-Tech Pharma Co Ltd, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chongqing Nansong Chemi-Tech Co Ltd, which was purchased by Guangxi Hechi Chemical Co Ltd in December 2019 and became a company of Hechi.

Zhong Nanshan, a leading infectious disease expert in China and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, noted in an interview with CCTV on Feb 24 that chloroquine phosphate had an average time of 4.2 days of turning signs of COVID-19 negative in a clinical trial of 108 COVID-19 patients.

Chloroquine phosphate was included in the sixth and seventh editions of the treatment and diagnosis plan for COVID-19 published by the National Health Commission on Feb 18 and March 3.

Hydroxychloroquine sulfate was recommended by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission on March 2 as one of the drugs of first choice for treating the disease.

The manufacturing shop of Nansong Chemi-Tech Pharma Co Ltd. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

As a major manufacturer of the raw materials and intermediates for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate, Nansong Chemi-Tech Pharma Co Ltd resumed its production on Feb 28 and has been working around the clock since then. The first batch of 3.8 metric tons of products rolled out from the line on March 8.

In addition, the company plans to use vacant factories to expand its production capacity, contributing to the global fight against the epidemic.

"In confronting the novel coronavirus epidemic, Hechi company is willing to work with other anti-virus companies in China to help protect the health of people around the world," said Shi Weiguang, chairman of Guangxi Hechi Chemical Co Ltd.

By March 24, several foreign countries and regions like India and Finland had placed orders with the company, according to He Jianguo, chairman of Nansong Chemi-Tech Pharma Co Ltd.