May 18, 2021
2 mins read

Companies scale up Remdesivir production

Meanwhile, Department of Pharmaceuticals intensified monitoring of availability, production and supply of drugs used for Covid-19 treatment in early April, as number of cases of Covid-19 started increasing steeply…reports Asian Lite News.

All seven domestic licensed manufacturers of Remdesivir have scaled up production from 38 lakh vials per month to nearly 119 lakh vials per month, following government directives, an official statement said.

With accelerated approval of 38 additional manufacturing sites, the number of approved manufacturing sites of Remdesivir in the country has increased from 22 to 60. With the help of the Ministry of External Affairs, the manufacturers are being facilitated for getting supplies of requisite raw materials and equipment from foreign countries.

Meanwhile, Department of Pharmaceuticals intensified monitoring of availability, production and supply of drugs used for Covid-19 treatment in early April, as number of cases of Covid-19 started increasing steeply.

Remdesivir is a patented drug, manufactured in India under voluntary licenses granted by patent holder Gilead Life Sciences US to seven Indian pharmaceutical companies –Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Lab, Hetero, Jubilant Pharma, Mylan, Syngene and Zydus Cadila.

According to the statement, all efforts are being made to enhance the availability of the drug, both through imports as well as augmented domestic production. Exports of Remdesiver have been prohibited since April 11, while customs duty has been exempted on Remdesivir injection, Remdesivir API and Beta Cyclodextrin (SBEBCD) used in its manufacture with effect from April 20.
After the demand surged, the Central government has been making allocations to states and UTs since third week of April. Interim allocation of 11 lakh vials was made for 19 states and UTs with high demand on April 21 for period up to April 30. This allocation was increased to 16 lakh vials on April 24 as more supplies became available. In a series of allocations issued subsequently, with latest on May 16, 76 lakh vials in total have been allocated among states for period up to May 23.

The state governments and UT administrations have been asked to monitor proper distribution within their jurisdiction, covering both government as well as private hospitals, and in line with judicious use as advised in the “National Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult Covid-19 patients”, issued jointly by the AIIMS/ICMR Covid-19 National Task Force and Joint Monitoring Group of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

All the seven Indian manufacturers have been making supplies to states as per the allocation both against government purchase orders and also through their private distribution channels in states. A total of 54.15 lakh vials of Remdesivir have been supplied across the country by the drug companies during April 21-May 15, the statement said.

ALSO READ-India begins world’s largest vaccination drive

READ MORE-Massive polio vaccination drive begins in Afghanistan

Previous Story

PROFILE: Shantibhushan Lal

Next Story

Creating vaccine awareness among tribals

Latest from News

VPR Award Ceremony at TVM on October 1

The award was instituted by Kerala Media Academy with the support of VP Ramachandran’s family. The award contains a cash prize worth one lakh rupees, a citation, and a plaque Acclaimed journalist Shashi

GST Reform Fuels Auto Boom

Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, also witnessed exceptional momentum. On Day 1 of the reforms, it reported over 30,000 retail sales and approximately 80,000 customer enquiries. Bookings for small cars rose by

Tejashwi claims ‘public fury’ against Bihar govt

Tejashwi Yadav’s Bihar Adhikar Yatra draws thousands, with RJD claiming growing anger over corruption, crime and unemployment, while NDA leaders tout development ahead of crucial state elections. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader

NHAI Eyes Rs 40,000 Crore

Of this, the TOT route accounted for 53 per cent of total monetisation during FY2019-FY2025. InvIT, introduced in FY2022, has steadily expanded its share, reflecting NHAI’s strategy to diversify its funding mechanisms
Go toTop

Don't Miss

B’desh okays Russian vaccine Sputnik

The approval comes after Bangladesh health authorities stopped administering Covishield

India to begin Sputnik V production in Aug

India’s envoy to Russia says, 65-70% of Sputnik produced anywhere