Covid-19: Pune-based drug firm to export favipiravir to 18 countries

Favipiravir is under trial in many countries as a potential treatment for Covid-19.

Pune-based pharmaceutical marketing company Brinton Pharmaceuticals is gearing up to export anti-viral drug favipiravir to 18 countries and awaiting approval from the Indian drug controller to launch the drug in India. Favipiravir is under trial in many countries as a potential treatment for Covid-19, and in India, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals is conducting the trials that have entered phase 3.

After the trials are over in India, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is likely to give the nod to market the drug here which was originally developed by Japan's Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Fujifilm Corporation. The drug is not yet part of the treatment protocol for Covid-19 here, but sources claim that it is on the list of the most promising drugs for treating the new coronavirus by the task force here.

Speaking to Business Standard, Rahul Kumar Darda, chairman and managing director of Brinton Pharma said that Hyderabad-based Optimus Pharma is making the drug for them. "Fujifilm is supplying the intermediate of the drug to Optimus, which is making the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for the drug. They will also supply the formulation to us, which we will export to countries like Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Canada, Caribbean etc," Darda said.

Brinton has a stock of about 100,000 tablets ready to export.

As for the pricing, Darda said that for countries like Nepal the drug is being priced around Rs 2,500 per strip of ten tablets. A patient would need a course of 14-days or roughly around 20 tablets or so, making the cost of therapy Rs 5,000. "When the drug gets launched in India eventually, the prices are expected to be lower," Darda said.

Favipiravir sells under the brand name Avigan and is an approved medication to treat influenza. Brinton will market the drug under the brand Faviton and it will be available in 200 mg and 400 mg tablets.

Plasma therapy worked on my body in 3 days, says recovered Covid-19 patient

I had received plasma from a doctor named Dr Izhar Munshi who had recovered from coronavirus, said the patient.

As plasma therapy is still in experimental stage and several states continue the trial of it for Covid-19, a doctor who donated his plasma after recovering from coronavirus and a plasma recipient who has recovered now have shared their experiences.

Kapil Dev Bhalla, a plasma therapy recipient, said, "I was admitted in Aurobindo Hospital wherein during my treatment for coronavirus the congestion in my chest was not getting cured despite several efforts. On April 26, I was told by Dr Ravi Dhosi that they are planning to administer plasma therapy on me. I gave them a thumbs up and within three days it worked on my body. I had received plasma from a doctor named Dr Izhar Munshi who had recovered from coronavirus."

He further said, "The congestion which earlier was getting cured in the extremely slow process got cleared within three days of getting plasma. I was taken off oxygen and then got discharged on May 6."

"I have already told the doctors at Aurobindo Hospital that I am ready to donate plasma whenever they want," he added.

Dr Iqbal Qureshi, a plasma donor, told ANI: "I was admitted in Aurobindo after I was tested Covid-19 positive. After I was discharged and completed 14 days of home quarantine, I received a call from Aurobindo Medical College, Indore asking me to donate plasma therapy. I immediately agreed."

"From my body, about 400 ml plasma was taken and it benefitted two patients. Hence, I urge people who have recovered from coronavirus to donate plasma," he added.

Meanwhile, Dr PS Thakur, Superintendent of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar Hospital, has warned people of getting excited over the plasma therapy. "Everyone should keep in mind that plasma therapy is still under trial. However, if the trial is successful then it will definitely give us a new medicine to treat coronavirus patients.