Maharashtra asks Remdesivir manufacturer to sell only in state; distribution via collector

In a bid to crackdown on Remdesivir black marketing, Maharashtra government on Friday, has mandated that the drug will be provided through collectors and area drug inspectors only. Issuing a toll-free number (1800222365), govt has urged citizens to contact the local area drug inspector via the number, to procure Remdesivir. Maharashtra, which has been worst-hit by COVID is grappling with acute shortage of oxygen, beds and Remdesivir.

Maharashtra govt stall export of Remdesivir

Moreover, the state govt has also asked BDR pharmaceuticals to stop the sale of Remdesivir Injection outside the state,  to counter shortage. The govt has it to either sell them to the govt or in the state of Maharashtra, submitting details of production and distribution to the govt. The Centre has asked Remdesivir manufacturers to ramp up production to nearly 78 lakh vials/month.

Govt bans export of Remdesivir

On Sunday, Centre banned the export of Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the COVID-19 situation in the country improves. Furthermore, all manufacturers have been instructed to display on their websites the status of the total production and supplied. Centre has also told drug inspectors to verify stocks and check their malpractices and also take other effective actions to curb hoarding and black marketing

Remdesivir shortage in Maharashtra

Being worst hit by COVID-19, Maharashtra is facing an acute shortage of Remdesivir vials. To counter black-marketing, Maharashtra's health services commissioner Ramaswami N requested that all district collectors in the state set up control rooms to streamline the supply of Remdesivir. Meanwhile,  Union minister Nitin Gadkari has called up Sun Pharma's CEO to arrange for 10,000 injections in the city. The state has already set a price limit of Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,400 per vial for Remdesivir and cautioned against hoarding and black marketing.

Amidst the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases, several parts of the country have reported a shortage of the Remdesivir drug. This has been reported to due to a decrease in the production cycle after the country had managed to bring down the active cases of Coronavirus during the span of October to January until the second wave hit. As a result of the shortage, cases of black-marketing and hoarding of the drug have come to the fore. The DCGI had approved the emergency use of Remdesivir on June 1, 2020, which was followed by the government's guidelines released for the drug to be used. Centre also said doctors should ensure "rational and judicious" use of Remdesivir, underlining it is to be given only to serious COVID-19 patients in hospitals and is not to be used in home settings.