08 Aug 2020  |   06:32am IST

Cipla donates 1,008 Remdesivir vials for COVID treatment

Cipla donates 1,008 Remdesivir vials for COVID treatment

In a corporate social responsibility initiative, Cipla Limited, pharmaceutical company on Friday donated 1,008 vials of Remdesivir to the State Health Dept. This anti-viral drug will be administered to moderately severe patients suffering from COVID-19. Remdesivir is an intravenous drug that is given at a dose of 200mg on day  1, followed by 100mg daily for 5 days. 

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, “We are thankful to Cipla Limited for providing us 1,008 vials of Remdesivir. This anti-viral drug will be beneficial in suppressing the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2, the coro-navirus that causes COVID. Uncontrollable viral replication is often responsible for tissue damage and deaths in patients infected with the virus. The drug will help in faster recovery of COVID-19 patients. Introduction of Remdesivir in the COVID treatment protocol will also help us reduce COVID deaths associated with co-morbidity. With Remdesivir, the right time of administration is key.  The Dean and DHS Director have therefore been issued instructions to lay down a strict protocol in consultation with AIIMS for the treatment of COVID patients using Remdesivir. It is important to define the treatment protocol for COVID patients depending on the severity of the viral infection. Such categorisation of patients will help make this disease less frightening and the infection more manageable.” Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla,  said, “As the world gets to grip with the unabated COVID-19 pandemic, it is our priority to ensure access to life-saving treatments.”


IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar