New Delhi: The renowned pharmaceutical company, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on Saturday launched the antiviral drug Favipiravir, named as ‘FabiFlu’ for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.
The drug firm on Friday got manufacturing and marketing approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
FabiFlu is the first oral Favipiravir-approved medication for the treatment of COVID-19, the company said in a statement.
The approval comes at a time when cases in India are spiralling like never before, putting a tremendous pressure on our healthcare system, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Chairman and Managing Director Glenn Saldanha said in a statement.
FabiFlu has demonstrated an encouraging response in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients during clinical trials, he added.
The firm will work closely with the government and medical community to make the medicine quickly accessible to patients across the country, Saldanha said.
The drug will be available as a prescription-based medication for Rs 103 per tablet, with recommended dose being 1,800 mg twice on day one, followed by 800 mg twice daily up to day 14.
Last month, Glenmark also announced that it is conducting another clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of two antivirals Favipiravir and Umifenovir as a combination therapy in moderate hospitalised adult COVID-19 patients in India.
India on Saturday saw another record spike of 14,516 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, pushing the tally to 3.95 lakh while the death toll rose to 12,948 with 375 new fatalities, as per the data of Union Health Ministry.