Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, on June 20, 2020, has launched the first oral Favipiravir-approved medication for the treatment of COVID-19, under the brand name of FabiFlu.
The drug firm has launched the antiviral drug, after receiving manufacturing and marketing approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday.
“This approval comes at a time when cases in India are spiraling like never before, putting a tremendous pressure on our healthcare system,” Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Chairman and Managing Director Glenn Saldanha said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The chairman went on to explain that FabiFlu can be used to treat patients with mild to moderate Covid-19. The drug has demonstrated an encouraging response of improvement up to 88 percent during clinical trials. As per the reports, the drug has proved to provide rapid reduction rate in viral load within four days, and faster symptomatic and radio-logical improvement.
FabiFlu will be available as a prescription-based medication for Rs 103/tablet, with recommended dose being 1,800 mg twice on day one, followed by 800 mg twice daily up to day 14. The drug can also be used to treat coronavirus patients with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. With the launch of FabiFlu, the company hopes to offer the patients, a timely therapy and much needed option, in comparison to other intravenously administered medications.
Saldanha has assured that the company is working very closely with the Government and medical community, to have the FabiFlu accessible as early as possible to patients across the country. The company has been conducting various clinical trials, since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the drug firm announced another clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of two antivirals Favipiravir and Umifenovir as a combination therapy in moderate hospitalised adult Covid-19 patients in India.
Coffea Break 