Demand for remdesivir, a Covid antiviral drug, is increasing sharply in India, a senior Cipla executive said.
Bengaluru:
Demand for remdesivir, a COVID-19 antiviral drug, is increasing sharply in India, a senior executive at drug maker Cipla Ltd said on Monday, even as experts remain divided over its effectiveness.
Remdesivir was developed by US drug maker Gilead Sciences Inc, which lowered its revenue forecast for 2020 last month, citing lower than expected demand and difficulty forecasting sales of the treatment. Cipla is one of several companies licensed to manufacture and sell generic versions in developing countries.
Cipla’s version, Cipremi, launched commercially in July and costs just over $ 50 per 100 mg vial.
“From October, (the company) is experiencing a very large increase in monthly volumes (remdesivir) … there are no more constraints on supplies now,” Cipla’s global chief financial officer told Reuters, Kedar Upadhye.
He said the company had sold more than 300,000 vials of the drug across the country as of September.
Remdesivir has become the standard of care for hospital patients with severe COVID-19, with more than 50 countries, including the United States, approving its use.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) said last month that its global trial of COVID-19 therapies found that remdesivir did not have a substantial effect on the length of hospital stays for patients. or on their chances of survival.
“In India, the protocols (on remdesivir) have not changed and demand continues,” Cipla’s Upadhye said, adding that the company had also started exporting the drug to “a few countries” in the second quarter, without giving other details. .
Bombay-based Cipla, which has already supplied the drug to South Africa since July, on Friday recorded a 41.2% increase in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended September 30.
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