DID YOU KNOW?
- In the past month, several Indian companies received FDA approvals for plants after waiting for several months.
- Lupin and Dr Reddy’s got approvals for large manufacturing facilities in Pithampur and Srikakulam last month.
- Biocon’s novel biologic Itolizumab has shown encouraging results for treating some Covid-19 related conditions. Itolizumab, a drug used to treat psoriasis was commercialized in India in 2013.
- AIIMS Bhopal claims good results in trials of the drug Mycobacterium W (Mw) conducted on COVID-19 patients.
- Gilead Sciences has signed voluntary patent licensing agreements with four Indian pharma companies, giving rights to manufacture and sell the drug Remdesivir to 127 countries.
- Remdesivir is presently considered the most promising candidate for the treatment of COVID-19.
- Treating COVID-19 patients with the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had no positive effect and caused other health complications, said two new studies in France and China.
- As part of WHO’s Solidarity trial, Indian will evaluate potential anti-viral agents remdesivir, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir-ritonavir and lopinavir-ritonavir with interferon.
- Glenmark Pharmaceuticals became the first company in India to initiate Phase 3 clinical trials on antiviral drug Favipiravir to check its efficacy on COVID-19 patients.
- Favipiravir, which is a generic version of Japan-based Fujifilm Toyama Chemical’s Avigan, has demonstrated activity against influenza viruses and has been approved in Japan for the treatment of novel influenza virus infections.
- Goa-based Molbio Diagnostics’ device called Truenat is set to become one of the key diagnostic tools for Covid-19.
- Tocilizumab, a biological drug, is among the most keenly considered repurposed drugs that are likely to help in the fight against Covid-19.
- Bhagawati Products that produces gadgets under Micromax brand has entered into an agreement with TWorks, a Telangana government initiative, to manufacture the mechanical ventilators.
- TVS group, Sundaram Medical Foundation and IIT-Madras have jointly developed a low-cost, automated respiratory assist device called The Sundaram Ventago.
