A local resident is buying medicine for cough in a pharmacy in Tianjin on December 6, 2022. Photo: VCG

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) said the current raw material for two antipyretics, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, is sufficient, and the production capacity for the two medicines is being released amid surging market demand, CCTV reported on Tuesday.

Data from NMPA showed that 446 domestic companies hold production licenses for producing ibuprofen, 104 of which were in operation in 2021; 986 companies have been permitted to produce acetaminophen with 111 companies in operation as of 2021.

The NMPA said the raw material supply for ibuprofen and acetaminophen is sufficient, which can meet the production demand of lower stream manufacturers at present.

Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co, one of two ibuprofen manufacturers in China, has 8,000 tons of annual capacity for ibuprofen raw material, far beyond the domestic demand volume in past years. Anqiu Lu'an Pharmaceutical Co can produce nearly 30,000 tons of acetaminophen raw material, twice that of current domestic demand, said the report.

The NMPA has initiated a campaign to address multiple issues during the manufacturing and selling phases to secure the quality of medicine.

Global Times