Fabiflu: First Coronavirus Medicine In India
COVID 19 or Coronavirus is a pandemic and currently, the whole world is suffering from this disease. Till now we don’t have any approved and effective medication or vaccine for it.
The whole world is trying to find a cure for the same. Many drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectine, ACQH, Mycobacterium W ( anti-leprosy drug), and Umifenovir are still under clinical trials for COVID 19 treatment.
In India, Glenmark pharmaceutical company launched an antiviral drug Favipiravir pulled under brand name Fabiflu for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID 19 symptoms. Fabiflu is oral favipiravir the first drug to get approved for the treatment of COVID 19.
The company has received the approval from DGCI on 20 July 2020 and will manufacture and market it soon.
Important Features And Information About Fabiflu or Favipiravir
- Favipiravir is used to treat influenza in Japan under the brand name of Abigan or Avigan and was approved in 2014
- Favipiravir is an antiviral agent that selectively and potently inhibits the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of RNA viruses. Favipiravir is effective against a wide range of influenza viruses types and subtypes including several resistant strains to existing anti-influenza drugs.
- The antiviral activity of Favipiravir has also been shown against other RNA viruses such as Vanyaviruses, Arenaviruses, and Filoviruses these unique antiviral profiles will make Favipiravir potentially promising drug for specifically untreatable viral infections such as Coronavirus.
- The clinical trials of Fabiflu have shown improvement of about 88 % in mild to moderate coronavirus patients. In severe cases such as where ventilator support has required the efficacy of the drug is still under question.
- Fabiflu is the first drug to be approved by DGCI for the treatment of COVID 19 infection
- The Favipiravir will be available soon across the country with strict medical supervision and proper prescription.
- Over the counter sale of medicine will not be allowed. Also, the doctors will be needing a patient’s consent before prescribing the drug.
- The Fabiflu will be sold in a pack of 34 tablets with a strength of 200 mg each with a cost of Rs 3500 INR and the cost of 14-day treatment is estimated to around 14000 INR. Each tablet of Fabiflu will cost around Rs 103 INR
- The Favipiravir tablets can be administered to patients age 18 to 75 years.
- Favipiravir has been earlier used in clinical trials in Russia, Japan, and China to treat coronavirus patients and has shown promising results.
- However, the drug favipiravir is not recommended in patients with liver and kidney diseases and pregnant and lactating women
- Favipiravir can be used safely in patients with comorbid conditions such as diabetes and heart disease with mild to moderate COVID 19 symptoms. It results in the rapid reduction in viral loads within 4 days and provides faster symptomatic and radiological improvement.
- Apart from Favipiravir the injectable antiviral drug Remdesivir or COVIFOR has also been part of India’s COVID 19 treatment strategy and is also been approved by DGCI.
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