Approval to double capacity to 78 lakh vials per month

As the demand for Remdesivir surges in view of increasing Covid-19 cases from across the country, the Modi Government has fast-tracked seven companies’ applications to manufacture the critical anti-viral drug, allowing them to more than double their combined capacity to around 78 lakh vials per month.

The move aims to ensure smooth availability of the drug which is being sold in black markets in some States.

Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday gave fast-track approval to six manufacturers to set up seven additional sites that could scale up the production capacity of Remdesivir by 1 million vials per month.

Another 30 lakh vials/month production is lined up. This would ramp up the production capacity for manufacturing to around 78 lakh vials/month from the current 38.80 lakh vials per month.

The issue of availability of Remdesivir was reviewed by Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers in meetings with the all-existing manufacturers of the Remdesivir drug and other stakeholders on April 12 and April 13, where decisions were taken to increase production/supply and reduce prices of Remdesivir.

Currently, Hetero Drugs, Zydus Cadila, Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Viatris, Biocon subsidiary Syngene International and Jubilant Pharmova manufacture Remdesivir in India. The prices of their product vary from Rs899 per vial for Zydus’ Remdac to Rs 5,400 for Hetero Drugs’ Covifor.

As an additional measure, Remdesivir, API and formulation were placed under export ban recently to enhance the supply in the domestic market.

On Government intervention, Remdesivir supplies of approximately 4 lakh vials meant for export is being diverted by manufacturers to fulfil domestic requirement. EOU/SEZ units are also being enabled to supply to the domestic market.

Manufacturers of Remdesivir have volunteered to reduce the price to less than Rs 3,500 by the end of this week after they were directed to give priority to fulfil hospital/institutional level supplies.

The DCGI has also instructed enforcement authorities in the State and Centre to take immediate action on the incidence of black-marketing, hoarding and overcharging of Remdesivir.

The Union Health Ministry has asked the hospitals to use the drug judiciously and rationally. The Ministry in a statement recently said that Remdesivir should be supplied only to hospitals and not to chemists or patients. It said the drug must be given only to hospitalised patients who are low on oxygen.