All you need to know about Glenmark's Favipiravir, the potential Covid drug

The drug will be available in the Indian market under the brand name FabiFlu at Rs 103 per tablet.

The company
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals became the first Indian company to secure drug regulator’s nod on manufacturing and marketing the antiviral drug, Favipiravir in India. It will now be available in the Indian market under the brand name FabiFlu at Rs 103 per tablet. The company said it would first cater to the domestic market requirements, however added that exports would depend on the regulatory requirements of other countries.  Before this, Glenmark's net debt was over Rs 3,600 crore at the end of the March quarter. FabiFlu may give a decent push to its domestic business. 

About drug

The Japanese flu drug, Favipiravir is made by a subsidiary of Fujifilm helping to treat patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 infection. However, a Japanese health official told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper that the drug isn’t very effective in severe Covid-19 cases. The potential is significant -- the drug is to be used in Turkey, it is already available in Bangladesh, approval granted in the UAE, while the protocol is approved in Jordan. More than 15 companies are under the registration approval process to launch the drug in Egypt. Indonesia and Thailand have approved clinical protocol, several CIS countries like Ukraine have adopted it in Covid-19 protocol, and Iraq and Saudi Arabia are evaluating the drug

Trials

The drug has shown promise in multiple global studies, with reduction in viral load, faster fever resolution, and faster clinical recovery.  A Chinese trial in 340 people showed that the virus tended to be cleared in four days in those who received the drug, versus 11 days in those who went without. Glenmark has also been working to conduct phase 3 clinical trial on mild to moderate Covid-19 patients.  

Accessibility

In India, the drug will be sold at retail chemist outlets as well as hospitals. This is an emergency use authorisation due to the pandemic situation prevalent in the country and the need for timely treatment.  Whenever a doctor prescribes favipiravir, an “informed consent” from the patient is requisite. Patients with a valid prescription can procure the drug from retail chemists, as many of them may not need hospitalisation. 

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.