Coronavirus drug: Mylan launches remdesivir under brand name \'Desrem\' at Rs 4\,800

Coronavirus drug: Mylan launches remdesivir under brand name 'Desrem' at Rs 4,800

Remdesivir is one of the few medicines believed to be effective in treating coronavirus patients. So far, it has secured approvals for emergency use from US FDA and conditional approval from the European Commission.

Mylan had said its remdesivir will be available in July at a price of Rs 4,800 per 100 mg vial

Pharmaceutical company Mylan, on Monday, announced the commercial launch of a generic version of remdesivir under the brand name "Desrem" for coronavirus treatment. Mylan said it has released the first batch of its generic remdesivir and will continue to increase its supply.

Remdesivir is one of the few medicines believed to be effective in treating coronavirus patients. So far, it has secured approvals for emergency use from US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and conditional approval from the European Commission.

Last month, Mylan had said its remdesivir will be available in July at a price of Rs 4,800 per 100 mg vial. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval to Mylan for restricted emergency use of 100mg/vial remdesivir lyophilized powder.

Mylan will manufacture Desrem in its facility in Bangalore.

The company also launched a 24x7 helpline where patients and healthcare practitioners can access information about Mylan's Remdesivir and its availability. Mylan's national helpline number is -- +91.78299.80066.

"We commend Gilead for their continued leadership on this front, and also applaud and are proud to continue partnering with the DCGI for its ongoing efforts to accelerate access to critical medicine for patients with COVID-19 in India," Mylan President Rajiv Malik said in a statement.

In May, Mylan and domestic pharma firms Hetero, Cipla, and Jubilant Life Sciences had entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements with Gilead Sciences Inc for manufacturing and distribution of remdesivir. Hetero and Cipla have already launched their generic versions of remdesivir in India. Cipla has priced its version Cipremi at Rs 5,000, whereas Hetero has priced its remdesivir version, Covifor at Rs 5,400.