At Rs 2,800, Zydus launches Remdac for treatment of COVID-19 in India

Pharmaceutical major Zydus Cadila said on Thursday it has launched Remdesivir under the brand name Remdac for treatment of COVID-19 in the Indian market.

"Priced at Rs 2,800 for a 100 mg lyophilised injection, Remdac is the most economical Remdesivir brand in India. The drug will be made available across India through the group's strong distribution chain reaching out to government and private hospitals treating COVID patients," it said.

Managing Director Sharvil Patel said Remdac is the most affordable drug as the company would like to enable patients to have access to this critical drug in the treatment of COVID-19.

"Through the course of this pandemic, our efforts have been focused on supporting people in this healthcare crisis, whether it is through developing vaccines, ramping up production and distribution of critical drugs and therapies, making diagnostic tests available or exploring new treatment options," he added.

In June, Zydus entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Gilead Sciences Inc to manufacture and sell Remdesivir, the investigational drug, which has been issued an emergency use authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients suffering from severe symptoms of COVID-19.

The active pharma ingredient (API) for the drug has been developed and manufactured at the group's API manufacturing facilities in Gujarat.

Zydus Cadila said Remdac marks yet another step in the group's efforts to the fight the pandemic with vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. The group had ramped up production of HCQ and Dexamethasone when required and is also conducting clinical trials with Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2b and Desidustat for the treatment and management of COVID-19.

Nearly three lakh COVID Kavach Elisa diagnostic tests have been supplied for surveillance. The group's plasmid DNA vaccine ZyCov-D is now in phase two of the adaptive phase one and two clinical trials.

( With inputs from ANI )