India likely to change HCQ policy for COVID-19

Indian Council of Medical Research is contemplating to bring changes in its Hydroxy-chloroquine (HCQ) policy for treatment of COVID-19. It may be mentioned here anti-malaria medicine HCQ has been in use in India for a long time. Coronavirus keeps changing its behaviour at regular intervals.

New Delhi: India's apex medical research institute, ICMR is contemplating to bring changes in its Hydroxy-chloroquine (HCQ) policy as treatment and prophylaxis for COVID-19.

Officials in ICMR told ETV Bharat that the move was initiated after World Health Organisation (WHO) recently decided to discontinue HCQ clinical trials "because it did not reduce mortality in hospitalised patients following results of interim trials."

It may be mentioned here anti-malaria medicine HCQ has been in use in India for a long time. COVID-19 is a new infectious disease and it keeps changing its behaviour at regular intervals.

Officials said that scientists across the globe are constantly scrutinizing the evidence and protocols are also being revised regularly.

"Accordingly, experts will be reviewing the guidelines and protocols of HCQ and if there is a need for revision on its usage, it will be done accordingly," officials from ICMR said. As of now, HCQ has been adviced for frontline health workers and doctors and mild COVID-19 patients.

In the latest clinical protocol guidelines, the ICMR has suggested dosage for HCQ 400mg twice a day for one day, followed by 200mg twice a day for four days.

"It (HCQ) should be taken with antibiotic azithromycin," said the clinical protocol.

Now, with WHO suspending all arms of a clinical trial of HCQ, India is also likely to bring changes in its policy as HCQ was an Indian candidate for WHO's solidarity trial.

In a related development, India's drug licensing body, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved another global generic and pharmaceutical company Mylan NV for manufacturing and marketing Remdisivir medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Earlier, Cipla Ltd and Hetero Drugs Ltd. have got DCGI's approval for manufacturing and marketing Remdisivir.

A statement issued from Mylan NV said that the Drug will be launched in India under the brand name DESREM and it will be available in retail at hospitals on a doctors prescription.

Interestingly, Mylan NV will charge Rs 4,800 per 100mg vial whereas domestic Pharma major Cipla and Hetero Drugs Ltd. are charging for Rs 5,000 and 5400 per 100mg vial.

These three companies have entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements with drug major Gilead Science Inc for manufacturing and marketing of Remdisivir, which has been considered as an effective medicine for COVID-19 patients.