Covid-19: India to ramp up Remdesivir production to 78 lakh vials a month
India has decided to ramp up the manufacture of Remdesivir, which is used to treat coronavirus, to nearly 78 lakh vials a month and ordered diversion of four lakh vials meant for export to the domestic market in order to cope with the spike in new cases.
The availability of Remdesivir was reviewed by Mansukh Mandaviya, minister of state for chemicals and fertilizers, in meetings with all manufacturers of Remdesivir and other stakeholders where decisions have been taken to increase production, supply and reduce the price of the drug.
The current total installed capacity of the seven manufacturers of Remdesivir is 38.8 lakh vials per month.
Fast-track approval has been given for seven additional sites with a production capacity of 10 Lakh vials a month to six manufacturers.
Another 30 lakh vials per month production is lined up, which would ramp up the production capacity to around 78 lakh vials a month.
As an additional measure, after banning export of Remdesivir a couple of days ago, the government directed that approximately four lakh Remdesivir vials meant for export be diverted by manufacturers to fulfil domestic requirement.
Manufacturers of Remdesivir have volunteered to reduce the price to less than 3,500 rupees by the end of this week to support efforts to fight Covid-19, an official statement said today.
Manufacturers of Remdesivir have been directed to give priority to fulfilling hospital and institutional level supply requirements.
Enforcement authorities of states and federal Indian government have been directed by Drug Control General of India to take immediate action on black-marketing, hoarding and overcharging of Remdesivir.
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