Government approves stepping up of Remdesivir production amid COVID-19 surge

The current total installed capacity of the seven manufacturers of Remdesivir is 38.80 lakh vials per month. The government expects the production to be ramped up to 78 lakh vials per month.

Moneycontrol News

April 14, 2021 / 18:11 IST

Remdesivir [Image: Reuters]

The Centre has approved the stepping up of production of Remdesivir - the antiviral medication administered to hospitalised COVID-19 patients - as per an official release issued by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers on April 14. The decision was taken amid the shortage of Remdesivir reported in parts of the country.

The issue of availability of Remdesivir was reviewed by Union Minister of State Mansukh Mandaviya in meetings with the all-existing manufacturers of the Remdesivir drug and other stakeholders, "where decisions have been taken to increase production/supply and reduce prices of Remdesivir", said the statement issued by the government.

The current total installed capacity of the seven manufacturers of Remdesivir is 38.80 lakh vials per month. Fast-track approval has been given for seven additional sites having the production capacity of 10 lakh vials per month to six manufacturers, the government claimed.

"Another 30 lakh vials per month production is lined up. This would ramp up the production capacity for manufacturing to around 78 lakh vials per month," it added.

As an additional measure, Remdesivir, API and formulation were placed under export ban on April 11 to increase the supply of Remdesivir in the domestic market.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

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Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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