Significant turn in COVID-19 treatment.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. on Saturday said it has launched antiviral drug favipiravir, under the brand name FabiFlu, for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 at a price of about Rs 103 per tablet.

The drug will be available as a 200 mg tablet at a maximum retail price of Rs 3,500 for a strip of 34 tablets, the drugmaker said.

Favipiravir by glenmark

Fabiflu is the first oral favipiravir-approved medication in India for the treatment of COVID-19, it said in a statement. It is a prescription-based medication, with recommended dose being 1,800 mg twice daily on day one, followed by 800 mg twice daily up to day 14, it said.

FabiFlu is the first oral Favipiravir-approved medication in India for the treatment of COVID-19, it said in a statement.

"This drug was already being used in Japan for influenza. They have been using it in COVID-19 patients also. Even China was using it and Russia had also given permission in May to use it. Antiviral drugs like Remdesivir and Favipiravir are not specific to COVID-19 but were being used for influenza," said Dr Vikas Maurya, Director, Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Disorders, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.

He said studies found that there was some benefit of Favipiravir in COVID-19 treatment and that is why it has now been launched in India as well.

Glenmark pharmaceuticals was the first company in India to initiate phase three clinical trials on Favipiravir for COVID-19 patients in India.

"Best thing is that it is an oral drug, while Ramdesiver is an intravenous drug. It (Favipiravir) can be even taken at home. So even if it is giving some benefit, it will be quite useful,"

"If at all ''game changer'' can be used, it is for dexamethasone which has shown a significant reduction in mortality and is available cheaply," The tablets are being produced by the company at its Baddi facility in Himachal Pradesh. The drug will be available both through hospitals and the retail channel, Glenmark said.

The Mumbai-based firm had on Friday received the manufacturing and marketing approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).