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Zydus Cadila's antiviral drug approved for treating moderate COVID-19 cases
Last updated on Apr 23, 2021, 07:04 pm
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The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday gave approval for the emergency use of Zydus Cadila's Hepatitis C drug "Virafin" for the treatment of moderate coronavirus infection in adults.
A single-dose subcutaneous regime (injected under the skin) of Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b can help improve a patient's condition and make the treatment more convenient, the company said.
Here are more details on this.
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Details
'Virafin can help avoid much of the complications'
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In its regulatory filing, the company said, "When administered early on during COVID-19, Virafin will help patients recover faster and avoid much of the complications (sic)."
The drug will be available on the prescription of a medical specialist for use in a hospital or institutional setup.
It has also shown efficacy against other viral infections, the company added.
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'Drug showed lesser need for supplemental oxygen'
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In the multicentric trials conducted at 20-25 centers across India, Virafin showed a lesser need for supplemental oxygen, "clearly indicating that it was able to control respiratory distress and failure which has been one of the major challenges in treating COVID-19," the company said.
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Claims
Patients tested negative by day 7, company says
![Patients tested negative by day 7, company says]( "Patients tested negative by day 7, company says")
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Zydus further said, "In its Phase III clinical trials, the therapy had shown better clinical improvement in the patients suffering from COVID-19...The drug ensures faster viral clearance and has several add-on advantages compared to other anti-viral agents."
About 91% of patients treated with the drug tested negative for COVID-19 by day seven, compared to nearly 79% who were given the standard care.
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It can help in better disease management: Cadila MD
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About the development, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Cadila Healthcare Limited, said, "The fact that we are able to offer a therapy which significantly reduces the viral load when given early on can help in better disease management."
"It comes at a much-needed time for patients and we will continue to provide them access to critical therapies in this battle against COVID-19," Patel added.
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COVID-19 situation
COVID-19 situation in India
![COVID-19 situation in India]( "COVID-19 situation in India")
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The development has come at a time when India continues to face a dreadful second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the last 24 hours, the country reported over 3.32 lakh COVID-19 infections - the highest single-day surge for any country in the outbreak.
2,263 more deaths took the death toll past 1.86 lakh.
India currently has more than 24 lakh active coronavirus cases.
