News Analysis India

Tag: COVID drug

  • Rheumatoid drug safe to treat Covid, but not available in India

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: A study in The Lancet has shown that the use of the drug Anakinra might improve the prognosis of patients with moderate to severe Covid-19. C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (inflammation), lymphopenia (reduced level of lymphocyte blood cells) and mortality was significantly lower in patients treated with this drug. 

    The study concluded that the drug could be a safe, anti-inflammatory treatment option to reduce mortality risk in patients admitted to hospital with moderate to severe Covid-19 pneumonia, especially in the presence of signs of hyper inflammation such as CRP concentrations higher than 100mg/L. However, doctors say that since the drug is not available in India and has to be imported, it may not be practical in our country’s context. 

    At Rainbow Children’s Hospital and Aster CMI Hospital, the drug was imported to be used in kids who recovered from Covid-19 and developed MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children). Dr Chandrika Bhat, consultant, Pediatric Rheumatology Services, Rainbow Hospital, said the drug is expensive and 28 injections have to be procured in one go.

    “Anakinra may have a role in Covid-19 associated hyper inflammation. However, it is not as easily accessible as Tocilizumab, Baricitinib and steroids, therefore, there may not be much demand in India. If available, it could have been an option. If more random controlled trials are done, perhaps over time it may become part of treatment, but availability is a limiting factor. As of now, Tocilizumab has more randomised controlled trials and evidence to back it than Anakinra.”

    Ravindra Mehta, Senior Consultant and HoD, Pulmonology and Interventional Pulmonology, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, said, “The cost of Anakinra is on the higher side, which would make it difficult to procure. We have drugs like Tocilizumab, Itolizumab, Baricitinib, which we have used in the treatment of Covid patients. These have shown good results and we can stock up on these drugs for the predicted third wave.”

  • Phase 3 trial of new Covid drug at Apollo, elsewhere

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Phase 3 clinical trials in nearly 2,400 people in India have begun to test the efficacy of experimental antiviral drug Molnupiravir against Covid-19, following regulatory approvals by the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation. 

    This drug, developed by Merck originally, is an oral broad spectrum antiviral agent that has shown promise in treating mild and moderate Covid cases in early-stage trials in some countries. In India, five companies have entered into voluntary licensing agreements to produce generic versions of it. And MSN laboratories has received permission to conduct the trials. 

    Dr Suneetha Narreddy, senior consultant, infectious diseases, at Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, which is one of the 40 sites in India where the phase 3 trials will be held, said that the drug is showing promise.“Data from early stage trials and preliminary analysis of phase 3 trials from outside India looks very promising but we should wait till the trials are concluded in India to say something definitive,” she said, adding it is being given to non-hospitalised patients with mild and moderate disease. 

    “Final analysis will depend on how many of the patients with or without this drug in the placebo and treatment arm go on to develop severe disease or needed hospitalisation.”

  • COVID-19: Uttarakhand govt to distribute Ivermectin tablets to all residents

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government will be distributing Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, among the residents of the state as a preventive medicine against the spread of COVID-19, a senior official said.

    The Uttarakhand government’s announcement comes after Goa and Karnataka issued similar directions.

    The decision was taken on the recommendation of the state-level clinical technical committee, an order issued by Chief Secretary Om Prakash to all district magistrates said.

    The panel has recommended the Ivermectin tablet as “mass chemoprophylaxis” to effectively control the surge of COVID-19 infection apart from the vaccination drive, the order said.

    The 12 mg tablets of the drug will be distributed in a kit to all families through the health department and district magistrates, the order said.

    Usually, Ivermectin tablets have to be taken by adults and those above 15 years twice daily for three days after breakfast and dinner.

    ALSO READ: WHO warns against use of ivermectin suggested in India’s national Covid management protocol

    One person will thus need six tablets and a family of four will need 24 tablets.

    Hence, each kit will contain two dozen tablets, the order said.

    Children between 10-15 years will take only one tablet daily whereas those aged between 2 to 10 years can be administered the drug only after doctor’s advice.

    The tablet cannot be given to children below two years, pregnant women and those suffering from liver diseases, it said.

    The kit will come with directions on how to consume the medicine and dosage for different age groups.

    Information related to the daily distribution of the kits should be sent to the state nodal officer, the order said.

    Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had on Monday said all people above 18 years will be given Ivermectin drug irrespective of their coronavirus status to bring down the number of deaths due to the viral disease.

    Rane had said that people will be given Ivermectin 12 mg for five days as expert panels from the UK, Italy, Spain and Japan have found a statistically significant reduction in mortality, time to recovery and viral clearance in COVID-19 patients treated with this medicine.

    On Tuesday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state’s COVID task force head C N Ashwath Narayan said 10 lakh Ivermectin tablets have been procured and their supply will begin on May 14.

    It has been further decided to procure 25 lakh tablets and make them available in all hospitals across the state, he said.

    Medical experts, however, have questioned the efficacy of the five-day duration of the drug regimen announced by Goa government saying the treatment should not be given for a short period but ideally be continued till the pandemic is brought under control.

  • COVID-19: Government waives import duty on Remdesivir, its raw materials

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Amid surging COVID-19 cases in the country, the government on Tuesday waived customs duty on Remdesivir, its raw materials and other components used to make the antiviral drug. The move would help augment domestic availability and reduce cost of the injection.

    Remdesivir is being used in the treatment of coronavirus.

    In a notification, the Department of Revenue said “The central government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest to do, hereby exempts the goods…when imported into India, from the whole of the duty of customs leviable.”

    The items on which the duty has been waived include Remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), injection Remdesivir, and beta Cyclodextrin used in manufacture of Remdesivir. This import duty exemption would remain in force till October 31 this year.

    Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted, “In line with PM @NarendraModi’s priority to ensure affordable medical care for COVID-19 patients, imports of Remdesivir API, injection and specific inputs have been made import duty free. This should increase supply and reduce cost thus providing relief to patients.”

    In line with PM @NarendraModi’s priority to ensure affordable medical care for COVID-19 patients, imports of Remdesivir API, injection and specific inputs have been made import duty free. This should increase supply and reduce cost thus providing relief to patients. pic.twitter.com/F40SX8mNeS
    — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 20, 2021

    Earlier on April 11, in view of increased demand for Remdesivir, the Centre banned export of the injection and its APIs till the situation improves. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had last week said various drug companies had cut the prices of Remdesivir injection on the intervention of the government.

    Cadila Healthcare has reduced the price of its REMDAC (Remdesivir 100 mg) injection to Rs 899 from Rs 2,800. Similarly, Syngene International has cut the price of its brand RemWin to Rs 2,450 from Rs 3,950. Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has cut the price of REDYX, which used to cost Rs 5,400, to Rs 2,700 now.

    Similarly, Cipla has reduced the price of its CIPREMI brand to Rs 3,000 from Rs 4,000. Mylan has also reduced the price of its brand from Rs 4,800 to Rs 3,400. Similarly, Jubilant Generics has cut the price of its Remdesivir brand to Rs 3,400 from Rs 4,700 earlier.

    Hetero Healthcare has cut the price of its brand COVIFOR from Rs 5,400 to Rs 3,490.