Pharmaceutical giant Glenmark’s FabiFlu pill gets approved as a COVID-19 treatment medicine by the Indian drug regulator, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). It has been given the green signal to be used for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.
Glenmark has become the first company to launch the antiviral drug in India with the brand name FabiFlu. It is is to be priced at ₹103/tablet and at Rs 3,500. The dosage is 200 mg X 9 tablets on the day one and 200 mg X 4 tablets a day for 14 days of the treatment.
This drug has been proven to have a success rate of 80% for patients having milk to moderate coronavirus infection. Talking about this drug, Glenmark’s Chairman Glen Saldanha said, “The approval comes at a time when cases in India are spiralling like never before and putting tremendous pressure on our healthcare system. FabiFlu will reduce this pressure. Glenmark will work with the government and medical community to make it quickly accessible to patients across the country”. Other Indian pharmaceutical companies that have applied for approval of their respective formulations are Brinton Pharmaceuticals, Strides Pharma, Lasa Supergenerics and Optimus Pharma.
Meanwhile, India currently has a toll of 4 lakh COVID-19 patients now, with nearly 13,000 deaths since the advent of the pandemic.