Singapore: China-based Zhejiang Huahai Pharma received approval from the China FDA to produce efavirenz. Huahai is the first Chinese drugmaker to receive approval to make the drug.

The drug is an oral non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), which can be used to control the symptoms of AIDS.

Huahai was earlier involved in the production of efavirenz active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for Merck, which marketed the drug under the name Stocrin.