Covid antiviral drug Molnupiravir launched in India
The much-awaited antiviral pill against COVID-19, Molnupiravir was launched in India on Monday. Covid antiviral drug is priced at Rs.1,399. It is a five-day course for mild to moderate infection.
Molnupiravir is an antiviral medication that inhibits the replication of certain RNA viruses. It is used to treat COVID-19 in those infected by SARS-CoV-2. It is by far one of the cheapest antiviral Coronavirus therapies during the pandemic.
The expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recently approved the antiviral drug Molnupiravir for restricted use in an emergency situation taking into consideration the rising cases of COVID-19 and Omicron variant.
CDSCO has also granted emergency use authorization to the Serum Institute of India’s Covid vaccine COVOVAX, Hyderabad-based Biological E RBD Protein CORBEVAX along with Molnupiravir.
Over a dozen pharma companies including Torrent, Cipla, Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s, Natco, Mylan, and Hetero are in the process to manufacture the oral pill. Cipla, Sun Pharma, and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories are also expected to release Molnupiravir capsules in the coming weeks.
Molnupiravir, developed by MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is also the first oral anti-Covid pill approved by UK’s drug regulator. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has also cleared Molnupiravir for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults, and for those who are at a high risk to severe disease.
The recommended dose of Molnupiravir is 800 mg twice a day for five days. With companies planning to launch 200 mg capsules, a patient will need to swallow 40 of them during the course of the treatment.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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