DCGI Sends Notice To Glenmark Over False Claims And Overpricing Of Covid-19 Drugs

The Drugs Control General of India (DCGI) has sought clarification from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals regarding their claims of its Covid-19 drug being effective in comorbid conditions. The DCGI has also further accused the pharma giant of selling its medication for overpriced rates and not being accessible to the poor and middle-class people.

In a letter, DGCI's Somani wrote “After all positive approach, accelerated processes and efforts by DCGI, health ministry and relevant state FDA departments, the cost proposed by Glenmark is definitely not in the interest of the poor, lower middle class and middle-class people of India". This letter is dated July 18th which was a Saturday,  

The notice was sent to the company after the DCGI received a complaint by a Member of Parliament (MP) regarding the matter. The MP claimed that the total cost of the treatment proposed by Glenmark is not in the interest of the poor and middle-class citizens of the country. However, on July 13, the pharmaceutical giant had dropped the price of its generic version of favipiravir, FabiFlu, from ₹103 to ₹75 per tablet, in order to make it more affordable for people across the nation.

The complaint by the MP further alleged that the pharma company is misleading people by claiming that their drug is effective in comorbid conditions like diabetics and hypertension. And as per the protocol summary, the trial done for the drug was not designed to assess FabiFlu in comorbid conditions.  Earlier in June, the Central Standard Drug Control Organization (CSDO) of India had given Glenmark’s FabiFlu, a nod for the treatment of the coronavirus infection.

Following this incident, the shares of the pharma giant have dropped over 5 per cent on Monday. As per media reports, the stock declined 5.10 per cent to ₹408 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and it tanked 5.75 per cent to ₹405 at the National Stock Exchange (NSE),