There is another ray of hope in the fight against Coronavirus after USFDA approved use of Remdesivir drug to treat critical patients. But the fight is not easy as Remdesivir is still under trials for its side effects and its high cost also worries many nations. Complete Coverage: Coronavirus
Crux of the Matter
About Remdesivir Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication that inhibits virus’ ability to reproduce and develop. Biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences developed the drug. Originally, it was developed to cure Ebola but proved ineffective. Remdesivir is in talks as it has reduced the time of recovery of patients by 4 days on an average. This drug, which is given intravenously (or in veins), treated a COVID-19 patient in 11 days instead of 15. The drug works by attacking and preventing the Coronavirus from cloning itself. Gilead Sciences have projected to produce at least 1 million doses by December 2020.
US Approval US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Remdesivir for the treatment of patients under critical conditions. As the situation in the USA is critical, the use of the drug has been allowed under emergency clauses. As of now benefits of the drug outweigh its side effects. However, it is not fully safe and is in the research phase to determine its unknown side effects. Some known side effects of the drug can be respiratory and organ failure. Czech Republic, Canada, European Medical Agency, etc. also approved ‘compassionate use’ (treatment through unauthorized medicine) of Remedesivir.
The data shows that Remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery. Dr Anthony Fauci, Infectious disease expert
Will US supply it to India? ICMR is mulling to use Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients in India. But, Gilead Sciences has Remdesivir’s patent until 2031. Other manufacturers who want to produce generic Remdesivir may do so after acquiring Compulsory License (CL) from Gilead. CL allows third parties to manufacture the patent drug on payment of royalty. The possible high price of the drug also worries bioethicists and they say that it is a barrier for the world to get rid of Coronavirus quickly. However, India’s Cipla, Dr Reddy’s, Glenmark, etc. have begun procuring raw ingredients for the drug’s manufacturing
Curiopedia
An international nonproprietary name (INN) is an official generic and non-proprietary name given to a pharmaceutical drug or an active ingredient. INN system has been coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1953. Remdesivir is an international nonproprietary name (INN).
The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is a stock market index made up of securities of NASDAQ-listed companies classified according to the Industry Classification Benchmark as either the Biotechnology or the Pharmaceutical industry. Gilead Sciences, Inc., the company behind the development of Remdesivir, is a member of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index and the S&P 500.
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