Glenmark cuts COVID-19 drug Favipiravir price by 27 pc

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 13 (ANI): Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said on Monday it has cut the price of its anti-viral drug Favipiravir under the brand name FabiFlu for treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 by 27 per cent to Rs 75 per tablet.
Last month, it had launched FabiFlu at a price of Rs 103 per tablet.
"The price reduction has been made possible through benefits gained from higher yields and better scale, as both the API (active pharma ingredient) and formulations are made at Glenmark's facilities in India, the benefits of which are being passed on to patients in the country," it said in a statement.
"Our priority from the start of this pandemic has been to offer patients in India an effective treatment for COVID-19 while also ensuring accessibility to the masses," said Alok Malik, Senior Vice President and Head for the company's India business.
"Our internal research shows us that we launched FabiFlu in India at the lowest market cost as compared to the cost of Favipiravir in other countries where it is approved. And now we hope that this further price reduction will make it even more accessible for patients across the country."
Besides, Glenmark said it has started a post-marketing surveillance study on FabiFlu to closely monitor the efficacy and safety of the drug in 1,000 patients that are prescribed with the oral anti-viral as part of an open-label, multi-centre, single-arm study.
"We expect this post-marketing surveillance study to shed more light on the drug's clinical effectiveness and safety in a large cohort of patients prescribed FabiFlu," said Malik.
Glenmark is also conducting another phase three clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of Favipiravir and Umifenovir as a combination therapy in moderate hospitalised adult Covid-19 patients in India.
The combination study, which is called the FAITH trial, is looking to enroll 158 hospitalised patients of moderate COVID-19 in India.
Early treatment with combination therapy will be evaluated for safety and efficacy as it is emerging as an effective approach in shortening duration of virus shedding, facilitating early clinical cure and discharge of patients, said Glenmark. (ANI)