The recommended dose of Molnupiravir is 1600 mg per day for five days (Photo Credit: Times of India)
Mankind Pharma will sell it with a brand name Molulife, and the full course will cost Rs 1399.
The Indian pharma major, Mankind Pharma is all set to roll out the Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir at the cost of Rs 1399 for the full course.
Molnupiravir, developed by US-based MSD has been approved by the UK regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the US regulator Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 patients who are at high risk of developing severe disease.
Many Indian pharma companies, including Cipla, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy's, Mankind Pharma, Torrent Pharma, have entered a 'non-exclusive voluntary licencing agreement' with MSD to manufacture and supply Molnupiravir in India and over 100 other low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The recommended dose of Molnupiravir is 1600 mg per day for five days.
In a press statement on December 23, MSD said, "Molnupiravir has not been approved, but has been authorized for emergency use by the FDA under an EUA to treat mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, and for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options authorized by the FDA are not accessible or clinically appropriate."
It added, "Molnupiravir is not authorized for patients who are less than 18 years of age, for initiation of treatment in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, for use for longer than five consecutive days, or pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of COVID-19."
India's Covid-19 vaccination drive has been commenced for adolescents of 15-18 age bracket from Monday (January 3), and more than 40 lakh adolescents got vaccinated on the first day. While Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is currently being administered for adolescents between 15-18, Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin are administered for adults above 18.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) approved the Serum Institute of India's Covid-19 vaccine Covovax and Biological E's vaccine Corbevax in the last week of December. The country has administered more than 145 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses so far.
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