COVID-19 India update | Govt asks Remdesivir manufacturers to increase production as complaints of black marketing rise

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With cases of coronavirus surging and reports of critical drugs being sold at exorbitant prices in the black market, the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has asked the manufacturers of Remdesivir to ramp-up the production of the anti-viral drug used for treating COVID-19 patients.

The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) had on June 1 granted US pharma giant Gilead Sciences marketing authorisation for its drug Remdesivir, being touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19, in the country.

The DoP has asked to increase the production of the drug as state authorities grapple with complaints of its black marketing, reported The Economic Times.

According to the report, state drug controllers received several complaints of profiteering during the pandemic as the drug priced at Rs 4,000-5,400 a vial being sold at as high as Rs 60,000.

Receiving the complaints, the DoP secretary held a meeting with the drug’s manufacturers, the report stated.

“Though it is a prescription drug, complaints have been received of its black marketing. Making money out of tragedy is not done,” an official told the publication.

The manufacturers have been told that they will be provided them all necessary assistance in case they want the government's help to ramp up production, the official was quoted as saying.

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Gilead's Remdesivir is sold under the brand name Cipremi by Cipla and Covifor by Hetero at costs of Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,400, respectively in the Indian market, as per the report. Mylan will launch Remdesivir around July 22-24, it added.

On July 11, two persons were arrested in Mira Road township of Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly selling vials of Remdesivir injections at exorbitant prices. The police seized four vials of the injection from the accused, who were selling each vial for Rs 20,000 as against the original price of Rs 5,400.

Receiving information of black marketing of the drug, the DGCI has asked state drug regulators and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to enforce the maximum retail price of the experimental COVID-19 drug, added the report.

(With inputs from PTI)

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