The two drugs approved for Covid-19 treatment in India will be shipped to Odisha in the next four days. The first consignment of both Remdesivir and FabiFlu will be released tomorrow.
Mamina Patnaik, the drug controller officer of Odisha, stated, “Remdesivir may be available within this week while FabiFlu may be supplied as early as Monday. We are in touch with the manufacturers and distributors.” Remdesivir is an injective vial, manufactured by Hyderabad-based pharma company Hetero which is recommended for critical patients. Covifor, the generic version of Remdesivir, will be available in both government and private hospitals. Covifor will be available for Rs 5,400 per 100 mg vial.
Hetero had supplied its first phase of the shipment to various states including Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Bhubaneswar was placed in the second phase of the consignment list.
Meanwhile, FabiFlu is the first oral tablet approved for the treatment of Covid-19 in India, manufactured by Glenmark. The drug will be available in the form of a 200 mg tablet for an MRP of Rs 3,500 to a strip of 34 tablets. Due to the mild impact of the tablet, doctors have suggested that this drug will be used often in Odisha.
Both Glenmark & Hetero Healthcare have supplied preliminary batches of the drugs to the worst-affected areas on a priority basis because of limited and restricted supply. Patnaik said while FabiFlu may be purchasable from the local stores gradually, Covifor will be used for hospital supply only. A majority of the 5,962 who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, have either mild or no symptoms.