Pharma major Mylan on Monday said it has commercially launched the generic version of Remdesivir drug under the brand name 'Desrem' in India for treatment of coronavirus patients. The company had earlier said that its Remdesivir will be available in July in India at a price of Rs 4,800 per 100 mg vial.
The drug is approved for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed incidences of COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalised with severe presentations of the disease, Mylan said in a statement.
The company has released the first batch of its generic Remdesivir and will continue to increase its supply across the country in the wake of the rising demand for the drug, it added.
The company has also launched a helpline number for accessing information about the availability of Desrem in India, the statement said.
Mylan will manufacture Desrem in its injectable facility in Bengaluru, which will work to service the demand in India and other export markets where Mylan has received a licence from Gilead for the commercialisation of Remdesivir, it added.
"With the launch of Desrem and our national 24/7 COVID-19 helpline, we aim to enhance access to this critical medicine, used for treating adults and children with severe presentations of COVID-19," Mylan, India and Emerging Markets, President Rakesh Bamzai said.
In the wake of increasing cases of COVID-19 across India, Mylan remains committed to continue its efforts in the fight against the pandemic, he added.
The previously announced agreement between Mylan and Gilead for manufacturing and distribution of Remdesivir is part of a long-standing history between the two organisations to tackle key public health issues beginning with expanding access to high quality, affordable HIV/AIDS antiretrovirals, Mylan said.
In May, Mylan and domestic pharma firms Hetero, Cipla and Jubilant Life Sciences had entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements with drug major Gilead Sciences Inc for manufacturing and distribution of Remdesivir.
Hetero and Cipla have already launched their generic versions of Remdesivir in India.
The medicine has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to treat COVID-19 patients.
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