Roche India launches first batch of antibody cocktail for treating Covid-19
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Drugs majors Roche India and Cipla announced on Monday the first batch of Roche’s antibody cocktail drug is now available in India for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in patients, who are at high risk. The cocktail drug (Casirivimab and Imdevimab), priced at ₹59,750 per dose, received emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on May 5, for use against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“The first batch is now available in India, while the second one will be made available by mid-June. In total, these can potentially benefit 200,000 patients as each of the 100,000 packs, which will be available in India, offers treatment for two patients,” Roche and Cipla said in a joint statement. The statement added that the antibody cocktail will be available through leading hospitals, as well as Covid-19 care centres.
India is not the only country that has granted EUA to the cocktail drug. The United States, as well as several member states of the European Union (EU), has granted permission for the product to be used in emergency cases. The cocktail will be administered for the treatment of mild-to-moderate cases in adults and paediatric patients (12 years or older, and weighing at least 40kg) who are confirmed to be infected with SARS-COV2, and those who face a high risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease.
A combined 1,200mg (600mg for each drug) cocktail dose has been approved for use in India. Further, it has to be stored between 2 degree Celsius and 8 degree Celsius.
India has granted EUA to three vaccines so far: the Oxford University-AstraZeneca shot, which is being manufactured as Covishield, the indigenously-developed Covaxin and Russia’s Sputnik V. Of these, Covishield and Covaxin have been in use since January, while Sputnik V was granted EUA in April, but is yet to be used on a mass scale. The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), an oral drug, was released by defence minister Rajnath Singh and health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on May 17.