Bglr’s pharma firm exports Covid-19 drug

Bangalore’s Strides Pharma has developed and commercialized Favipiravir Antiviral tablets, an antiviral medication that was initially developed to treat influenza in Japan. This generic version of Avigan of Toyama Chemical, Japan, is available in two forms – in 400mg and 200mg strengths for convenient dosage administration.

The medicine is currently being exported to Gulf Cooperation Council countries to treat patients under their treatment program for Covid-19. The company will also immediately apply to Indian drug authorities to commence necessary studies and make the drug available to Indian patients expeditiously; although the drug has received a green chit from the USFDA. It  has also entered into a preferred arrangement with an Indian API manufacturer for the supplies of Favipiravir API.

Dr R Ananthanarayanan, CEO and Managing Director, stated “We are pleased to be the first Indian company to develop and commercially launch Favipiravir tablets for the global markets. Favipiravir has already demonstrated positive outcomes in several studies on Covid-19 patients, and we are hopeful that the treatment regime with Favipiravir would brace up our fight against this virus.”