COVID-19: Beximco to start selling first copies of Gilead antiviral drug in Bangladesh

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. of Bangladesh has reportedly claimed that it has become world's first company which will start selling of generic version of Gilead Sciences Inc.’s antiviral drug to treat the deadly coronavirus that has taken a grip on the entire world. Rabbur Reza, chief operating officer at the company, reportedly said the Dhaka based pharmaceutical company will sell remdesivir for about 6,000 taka ($71) to private health cares and will provide it free to state-run healthcares treating the coronavirus patients. 

READ: Gilead's Remdesivir Trial Shows Improvement In COVID-19 Patients With Early Use

28511 confirmed coronavirus cases

As per reports, Bangladesh can produce generic versions of patented drugs under World Trade Organization guidelines which allows least developed countries a waiver to seek licenses. As we know, Remdesivir was cleared by U.S. drug regulator to treat the patients suffering from COVID-19, becoming the first available medication to fight the virulent disease. Reza reportedly said that Bangladesh is receiving queries from other countries as well. He added that the drug cannot be supplied through traditional distribution channels and if some government need it then they will export the same.According to John Hopkins University tally, Bangladesh has 28511 confirmed coronavirus cases with 408 deaths. 

READ: COVID-19: Japan Says Hospitals Administering Remdesivir On Severely Ill Patients

Phase 3 trial of drug

Meanwhile, announcing its results of Phase 3 trial of experimental antiviral Remdesivir in patients with severe COVID-19, Gilead Sciences Inc. said that patients who received the drug within 10 days of symptoms responded better to the treatment. Gilead Sciences Inc., a research-based biopharmaceutical company, evaluated 5-day and 10-day dosing durations of the Remdesivir in hospitalised patients with severe manifestations of COVID-19.

Merdad Parsey, Chief Medical Officer of Gilead Sciences, said in a statement that the company is trying to evaluate an investigational agent alongside an evolving global pandemic. He said that multiple concurrent studies are helping inform whether Remdesivir is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 and how to best utilise the drug.

READ: Japan Set To Approve Remdesivir Drug To Treat Coronavirus Patients

READ: India Can Easily Do Synthesis Of New Anti-viral Drug Remdesivir, Says Former ICMR Director

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