Glenmark Pharma reduces prices of Favipiravir

Pharmaceutical company Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has reduced the price of its antiviral drug Favipiravir, which is used to treat Covid-19, by 27 per cent to Rs 75 per tablet. This drug of the company has been launched in the market under the brand name ‘fabiflu’. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said in a statement on Monday that it had reduced the price of its drug ‘fabiflu’ by 27 percent. Now the new maximum retail price (MRP) of the drug will be Rs 75 per tablet.

Fabiflu price in Russia Rs 600 per tablet

Fabiflu was launched in the market last month. Then the price of one tablet was kept at Rs 103. The cost of 14 days in treatment will now be Rs 10,200, compared to 14,000 earlier. FabiFlu was launched at Rs 103 per tablet in India, while it is priced at Rs 600 per tablet in Russia, Rs 378 in Japan, Rs 350 in Bangladesh and Rs 215 per tablet in China.

Alok Malik, senior vice president and head (India business), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, said, “Our internal analysis shows that we have released this medicine in India at a lower price than in countries where it has been approved.” . A major reason for this is the manufacturing of both raw materials (APIs) and compounds used in pharmaceutical manufacturing at the company’s Indian plant. This has resulted in cost benefit to the company, which is now planned to be transferred to the people of the country. We hope that further reduction in its prices will further improve its access to the sick in the country.

The company also announced that it has launched a Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) study on Fabiflu to closely monitor the effect and safety of the drug in 1000 patients, part of an open-label, multicenter, single therapy study as prescribed.

On 20 June, Glenmark had announced approval for its manufacturing and marketing from India’s pharmaceutical regulator for its drug Fabiflu. With this, it became the first approved drug for mild and very mild Covid-19 infected patients, which was allowed to sell in the market. The company has said that it has also completed a Phase III clinical trial of the drug formulated for Covid-19 patients with minor and mild infections in India. Test results will be available soon.