Coronavirus drug: Cipla launches Cipremi’s, claims it is the cheapest Remdesivir

Cipla was granted regulatory approval for Remdesivir by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted emergency use of in the country as part of the accelerated approval process considering the urgent and unmet medical need.

Coronavirus Drug Remdesivir: Pharma major Cipla has launched its generic version of broad-spectrum anti-viral drug remdesivir (branded Cipremi), to be used on critically ill Covid patients in the hospitals. Claimed to be priced the lowest in the market, the product is launched under a licensing agreement with the US-based Gilead Sciences Inc.

Gilead had earlier decided to build a consortium of manufacturing partners to maximize global supply of remdesivir. While Cipla did not disclose the price, industry sources said that Cipremi is likely to be priced at Rs 4,000 per vial even while Hetero has priced its remdesivir brand Covifor at Rs 5,400 per 100 mg vial and Mylan’s Desrem is priced at Rs 4,800.

“We are proud to commercially launch Cipremi amongst the lowest priced globally and aim to supply over 80,000 vials within the first month itself,’’ Nikhil Chopra, Executive Vice President & CEO-India Business, Cipla, said. “To further ensure equitable distribution, Cipremi will be available via government and hospital channels only. Cipla will also be donating some amount of the drug as part of its efforts to support the community in this time of need,’’ he added. Privately held Sovereign Pharma is manufacturing and packaging Cipremi vials.

Cipla was granted regulatory approval for Remdesivir by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted emergency use of in the country as part of the accelerated approval process considering the urgent and unmet medical need. As part of a risk management plan, Cipla will provide training on use of the drug, informed patient consent documents, conduct post marketing surveillance as well as conduct a phase IV clinical trial on Indian patients.

The drug will be supplied through government and open market channels to ensure equitable distribution, Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla Ltd had earlier said.