New Delhi (NVI): An Indian pharmaceutical company, Zydus Cadila today launched antiviral drug remdesivir in India under the brand name Remdac to treat patients suffering from severe COVID-19 symptoms.
The drug is priced at Rs 2,800 per 100mg vial (lyophilised injection). With this pricing, Remdac becomes the cheapest remdesivir brand in the country.
It will be made available to government and private hospitals across India treating COVID-19 patients through the firm’s distribution chain, the company in a statement said.
“Remdac is the most affordable drug as we would like to enable patients to have access to this critical drug in the treatment of COVID-19,” Sharvil Patel Cadila Healthcare Managing Director said.
This makes Zydus the fifth company to launch a copy of the antiviral in India. Prior to this, Hetero Labs, Cipla and Jubilant Life Sciences had also launched the antiviral under their respective brands.
Earlier in June, Zydus entered into an agreement with Gilead Sciences Inc to manufacture and sell remdesivir, prescribed for emergency use to treat severe coronavirus patients by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
Gilead has also entered into licensing agreements with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd and Syngene International Ltd to make remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries, including India.
Notably, Zydus Cadila is also in the COVID-19 vaccine race. It’s candidate ZyCov-D is now in Phase 2 of the clinical human trials.
-RJV
