Hong Kong-listed Ascletis Pharma Inc. of the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou says it has applied to sell in Portugal and seven other European countries the drug it makes for treating COVID-19.

The other countries where Ascletis means to sell Ritonavir, an antiviral drug taken orally, are Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden, the company announced in writing on Tuesday.

Ascletis applied previously to sell Ritonavir in Britain, France, Germany and Ireland, and will apply subsequently to sell it elsewhere  the company says.

Separately, the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, reports that Ritonavir is a component of Paxlovid, an antiviral drug developed by Pfizer of the United States for the treatment of COVID-19 and related conditions, and quotes Portuguese Director-General of Health Graça Freitas, as saying last Friday that Portugal would buy Paxlovid.