Cipla receives EUA for oral antiviral drug to treat mild to moderate Covid

Drug major Cipla on Tuesday said it has received emergency use authorisation (EUA) permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch antiviral drug Molnupiravir in the country to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

The Mumbai-based firm said it plans to launch Molnupiravir under the brand name Cipmolnu.

"This launch is yet another step in our endeavour to enable access to all treatments in COVID care. We continue to be guided by the power of science to address the unmet needs of patients across the globe and bring care closer to the patients," Cipla MD and Global CEO Umang Vohra said in a statement.

Earlier during the year, Cipla entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Merck Sharpe Dohme (MSD) to manufacture and supply Molnupiravir in India and to over 100 low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The regulatory approval comes on the back of a five-month collaborative trial conducted by a consortium of companies.

Molnupiravir is the first oral antiviral approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 at high risk of developing severe disease.

Molnupiravir inhibits the replication of multiple RNA viruses including SARS-CoV-2.

Cipla said it will soon make Cipmolnu 200mg capsules available at all leading pharmacies and COVID treatment centers across the country.

The company has adequate manufacturing capacities and a solid distribution mechanism in place to ensure speedy access to this effective treatment pan India, it added.