Maharashtra to procure 10,000 vials of anti-viral drug

The Maharashtra government announced that it would procure 10,000 vials of anti-viral drug Remdesivir. A study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier stated that the drug Remdesivir may have a positive effect on patients suffering from the coronavirus.

Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday announced the plan of the Maharashtra government to procure 10,000 vials of the drug Remdesivir for treating coronavirus patients. The medicine which is inherently expensive is said to be made available for the poor and the needy patients suffering from COVID-19 in the state.

In the past, pharmaceutical major Cipla Ltd had stated that it has signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences Inc. for manufacturing and distribution of investigational drug Remdesivir, a potential therapy for COVID-19. Under the agreement, Cipla will be permitted to manufacture the API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) and finished product, and market it in 127 countries, including India and South Africa under Cipla's own brand name. The medicine has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat COVID-19 patients.

In Mumbai, hospitals have started administering Tocilizumab to patients suffering from COVID-19. This happens to be an expensive drug as it costs anywhere between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 80,000. However, the hospitals are faced with a high mortality rate. As a result, the health workers have started prescribing Tocilizumab to the patients. The administration of the drug depends on a person’s weight, round the clock oxygen support and CT scans for the critically ill. The medicine, ideally given to patients suffering from arthritis have been given to over 80 patients in KEM, Sion, Nair and Kasturba hospital.

The Union Health Ministry had earlier issued a draft for “compassionate use” of any unapproved drug. In order to facilitate the availability of experimental drugs for severely-ill COVID-19 patients, the Union Health Ministry has authorized a draft notification for "compassionate use" of any unapproved drug that is in the phase-III clinical trial globally. The draft New Drugs and Clinical Trials (Amendment) Rules stipulate manufacture and import of unapproved drugs based on a prescription by a hospital or medical institution.