Jenburkt Pharma launches COVID-19 drug at Rs 39 per tablet

Published : Jul 24, 2020, 7:10 PM IST

Updated : Jul 24, 2020, 7:37 PM IST

Drug firm Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals on Friday said it has launched antiviral drug Favipiravir under the brand name 'Favivent' for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms at a price of Rs 39 per tablet.

Jenburkt Pharma launches COVID-19 drug at Rs 39 per tablet

New Delhi: Drug firm Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals on Friday said it has launched antiviral drug Favipiravir under the brand name 'Favivent' for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms at a price of Rs 39 per tablet.

The tablet will be available in 200 mg strength in the form of a strip of 10 tablets,it added.

The drug will be manufactured at a pharmaceutical plant in Telangana with the highest safety and manufacturing protocols in place, Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals said in a statement.

On Thursday, pharma company Brinton Pharmaceuticals had said it will be selling Favipiravir under the brand name 'Faviton'at a maximum retail price of Rs 59 per tablet.

Pharma major Glenmark Pharmaceuticalsis already selling Favipiravir under the brand name 'FabiFlu'at a price of Rs 75 per tablet.

Earlier this year, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) had approved the use of Favipiravir -- an antiviral drug developed in Japan and commonly used for treating influenza -- for the treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 in India.

"Given the current scenario of grave health concerns and economic challenges surrounding COVID-19 in India, if we as a pharmaceutical company cannot make a significant positive difference to the society, our company's very existence is inconsequential," Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals Chairman and MDAshish U Bhuta said.

The company hopes that the easy accessibility and affordable price point of an effective treatment such as Favivent will offer Indian citizens a timely, much-needed therapeutic solution,he added.

Cipla gets DCGI nod to launch Favipiravir for treatment of COVID-19 patients

Pharma major Cipla also received approval from Indian drug regulator DCGI to launch Favipiravir in the country - under the brand name Ciplenza - for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

As part of its efforts to enable speedy access to cater to the demand, the company will commercially launch Ciplenza in the first week of August priced at Rs 68 per tablet, Cipla said in a statement.

The accelerated regulatory approval by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for manufacturing and marketing of the drug is aimed at meeting the urgent and unmet medical need for COVID-19 treatment options in the country through restricted emergency use, it added.

"To ensure fair and equitable distribution of the drug, supplies will be undertaken predominantly through hospital channels and via open channels, prioritised for regions with a high burden of COVID-19 case," Cipla said.

The drug has been jointly developed by Cipla and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), it added.

(PTI Report)