Cipla gets DCGI nod to launch Favipiravir for treatment of COVID-19 patients

Pharma major Cipla on Friday said it has received approval from Indian drug regulator DCGI to launch Favipiravir in the country - under the brand name Ciplenza - for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

Pharma major Cipla on Friday said it has received approval from Indian drug regulator DCGI to launch Favipiravir in the country - under the brand name Ciplenza - for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. As part of its efforts to enable speedy access to cater to the demand, the company will commercially launch Ciplenza in the first week of August priced at Rs 68 per tablet, Cipla said in a statement.

The  accelerated regulatory approval by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for manufacturing and marketing of the drug is aimed at meeting the urgent and unmet medical need for COVID-19 treatment options in the country through restricted emergency use, it added. "To ensure fair and equitable distribution of the drug, supplies will be undertaken predominantly through hospital channels and via open channels, prioritised for regions with a high burden of COVID-19 case," Cipla said.

The drug has been jointly developed by Cipla and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), it added. "As part of this partnership, CSIR-IICT has successfully developed a convenient and cost-effective synthetic process for Favipiravir. The entire process and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of the drug has been transferred to Cipla to manufacture and market the drug at scale," the statement said.

Favipiravir is an off patent, oral antiviral drug that has been shown to hasten clinical recovery in COVID -19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms, it added. Shares of Cipla closed at Rs 665.50 per scrip on the BSE, down 0.90 per cent from its previous close.

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