Sun Pharma Launches Favipiravir to Treat COVID-19

Oct, 2020 - By SMI

Sun Pharma will work with the medical community and the government to ensure the availability of Favipiravir (FluGuard) to people across the country.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) affects different people in different ways. Most infected people develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization. As the disease is wreaking havoc across the world, a myriad of strategies is currently being tested to curb the spread of the virus or to fight against the virus. Pharma companies and research institutes across the globe are in a race to develop an effective vaccine or drug to combat the virus. Now, Sun Pharma, an Indian pharmaceutical company has launched Favipiravir in India under the brand name FluGuard to treat COVID-19.

FluGuard will be available at a reasonable price of Rs 35 (US$ 0.47) per tablet for the treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. Moreover, Favipiravir is the only oral anti-viral treatment approved in India for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. According to Kirti Ganorkar, CEO, Sun Pharma India, there is an urgent need to provide more treatment options for the treatment of COVID-19 patients as India reports more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases daily. Moreover, the company will work with the medical community and the government to ensure the availability of Favipiravir (FluGuard) to people across the country.

According to Sun Pharma, FluGuard will soon be available in the market. Cipla, an Indian pharmaceutical company has also confirmed the launch of Favipiravir in India in August 2020 for COVID-19 treatment. It will be sold under the brand name Ciplenza for limited emergency use to treat COVID-19 patients. Moreover, Cipla's COVID-19 drug has been approved for launch by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). The single tablet will cost around 68 rupees (US$ 0.91). Favipiravir is an oral antiviral drug and was promising in clinical trials, particularly in mild and moderate cases of COVID-19.