Cipla has received the authorizations to launch Remdesivir under the brand name Cipremi (Representational)
New Delhi:
Pharmaceutical companies launch generic versions of Remdesivir and Favipiravir for COVID-19 treatment, medical experts said on Monday that this was “a positive development” in the fight against the pandemic, but put caution against viewing antiviral drugs as “game changers”.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals launched the antiviral drug Favipiravir, under the brand FabiFlu, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases, while Cipla and Hetero have received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch Remdesivir under the brand names Cipremi and Covifor respectively.
Cipla Ltd announced Sunday the launch of Cipremi.
Dr. Sanjay Rai, professor at the Center for Community Medicine, AIIMS Delhi, said that to date, no effective treatment or vaccine for the coronavirus has been found.
“To date, we have no evidence that a particular drug is effective, so we cannot call a drug changer until then. With their launch, it will only be clear in the future what point they will be effective. the support role in COVID-19 treatment is not yet known, “he told PTI.
Dr. Vikas Maurya, director of the Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Disorders, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said that drugs like Remdesivir and Favipiravir did not change the game as they were used for other illnesses and have now been shown to be useful in one way or another in the treatment of COVID -19 patients.
“It is not as if everyone who takes these drugs will recover,” he told PTI.
It has been found that they help reduce viral load but do not change the game, said Maurya.
“But yes, it is a positive development because it is better to have something on hand than nothing. There is also a psychological impact that something is given which could have a certain benefit,” he said.
Dr. Rommel Tickoo, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare, also echoed Maurya’s views.
Whatever studies have been done on these drugs, they cannot be called “game changers”, but their launch is a positive development because it is better to have something than nothing, he said.
“On both drugs, we have limited data, whatever evidence we have, it’s essentially anecdotal. There is no specific treatment we have and we cannot wait for all the trials to be because many lives will be lost. This is why emergencies are limited, use is pending approval, “he told PTI.
“It is difficult for us to categorically declare the effectiveness of the drugs, they have the potential, but we need more data,” he said.
Famous city lung surgeon Dr. Arvind Kumar said he didn’t think any of these antiviral drugs like Remdisiver or Favipiravir would be game-changing.
“If a” game changer “can be used, it is for dexamethasone which has shown a significant reduction in mortality and is available at lower cost,” said Kumar, who works at Sir Ganga Ram hospital here.
Dr. Avi Kumar, consultant, pulmonologist, Fortis Escort Heart Institute, said that drugs such as Favipiravir and Remdisiver “cannot be called game changers” because they are used as supportive therapy.
“When administered early, they can benefit patients but there is no guarantee that the patient will improve or not,” he said.
“It is certainly a positive development that we will be using antivirals, but that does not make a difference, as this term can be used for something you give and the patient recovers,” Kumar told PTI.
The pharmaceutical company Hetero said Sunday it had received approval from the regulator DCGI to launch the experimental antiviral drug Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19.
The drug will be available in 100 mg vials (injectables) to be administered intravenously in a hospital setting under the supervision of a health care professional, he said.
Asked about the price of the drug, the Hetero MD group of companies Vamsi Krishna Bandi told PTI that it would be in the range of 5,000 to 6,000 rupees per dose.
The drug has been approved by DCGI for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized for severe symptoms of the disease, the company said.
Cipla also stated that it had received regulatory approval from DCGI for restricted emergency use in the country as part of the expedited approval process for urgent and unmet medical needs.
Commenting on the launch, Cipla Ltd MD and global CEO Umang Vohra said: “Cipla appreciates the strong partnership with Gilead to bring Remdesivir to patients in India. We have been deeply invested in exploring every possible avenue to save millions lives affected by COVID-19 pandemic, and this launch is an important step in that direction. “
In May, the national pharmaceutical companies Hetero, Cipla and Jubilant Life Sciences had entered into non-exclusive license agreements with the main drug Gilead Sciences Inc for the manufacture and distribution of Remdesivir.
Last week, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announced that it had launched the antiviral drug Favipiravir, under the brand FabiFlu, for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at a price of around Rs 103 per tablet.
FabiFlu is the first oral drug approved by Favipiravir in India for the treatment of COVID-19, he said in a statement.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
