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.
