Drug bureau seizes unapproved Covid generic medicine

Primovir, a generic medicine for treating Covid-19 patients, has been seized in a shop near Border Gate, the Drug Supervision and Administration Bureau has announced. The bureau noted the brand has local approval. However, unapproved medicines were also found in seven other shops in the district. The bureau said only two brands have been approved in Macau, namely Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Lagevrio by Merck & Co. Both are prescription drugs, the dbureau added.

GBA Index logs six-quarter drop With the Standard Chartered

GBA Business Confidence Index (GBAI) at 39.5 points in the last quarter, the index has now fallen for six consecutive quarters and reached its lowest point in 10. Active destocking and weak intention for capitalization are thought to be behind the index’s serial plunge. Manufacturing and trading performed weakly in the past quarter, but innovation and technology plus retail and wholesale helped the index. The index is expected to rise in the first half of this year. A senior bank analyst forecast mainland China’s expected economic growth at 5.8% for this year.

First China Mahjong Open to start in March

Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province in Eastern China is set to stage the country’s first Mahjong Open between March 24 and 26, the event’s organizing body has announced. The contest will have a total cash prize of 1 million Chinese yuan. It will have two categories – Sichuan style and International style – apart from having Hangzhou 2V2 style as a promotional game. Contestants must have requisite qualifications and accreditations to participate. Two million people have registered as mahjong athletes, of which 1.19 million are accredited. It was also announced that 140 athletes had achieved the highest qualification for amateurs.