Multinational pharmaceutical company Cipla will launch its version of Covid-19 drug Remdesivir in the next 1-2 days, and begin supplying it to the market. In an exclusive interview with CNBC TV18, the major biotech firm said that Daman-based Sovereign Pharma had released the first batch of the drug, which Cipla will be selling under the brand name ‘Cipremi’.
Cipla had contracted BDR Pharma for the manufacturing of remdesivir, which in turn sub-contracted manufacturing of finished dosage and packaging to Sovereign Pharma. Mumbai-based BDR Pharma also makes the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for the drug, which has been approved for emergency use in severe Covid-19 patients in the country.
The drug, which is still under clinical trials, has shown evidence of reducing coronavirus infection in critical patients. Cipla CFO Kedar Upadhyay reportedly said that the company cannot comment on the volumes right now, but there is a huge gap in supply and demand in the market for the drug.
