The Union Health Ministry added ‘Remdesivir’ only for restricted emergency use for Covid 19.
Hetero and Cipla Pharmaceuticals were granted approval by the Drug Controller General of India for the production and marketing of this antiviral drug Remdesivir.
Under the brand name ‘Covifor’, the Hyderabad based Hetero Pharmaceuticals’ generic version of Remdesivir will be marketed in India.
The United States-based biopharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences is the developer of this drug.
Cipla was granted the voluntary non-exclusive by Gilead Science for manufacturing and marketing of the drug in India under generic drug name ‘CIPREMI’.
Covifor is the second such drug to enter the Indian market after Fabiflu by Glenmark.
Japan was the first country to approve Remdesivir drug as a treatment for COVID-19.
United Kingdom, Singapore, and Japan are the only countries where the drug has been approved.