India Approves ‘FabiFlu’ to Treat Mild-Moderate COVID-19 Cases

The coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented response from the global scientists to find a vaccine at the earliest possible.

In a happy turn of events, the Mumbai-based drug manufacturer Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has launched a new antiviral drug ‘Favipiravir’, with the brand name ‘FabiFlu‘, for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 patients.

The company has received the manufacturing and marketing approval from the Indian drug regulator ‘Drug Controller General of India (DCGI),’ becoming the first Indian company to launch the antiviral drug commercially.

Priced at INR 103 per tablet, FabiFlu is the first oral favipiravir-approved medication in India for the treatment of COVID-19.

“The approval comes at a time when cases in India are spiraling like never before, putting tremendous pressure on our healthcare system,” said Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Chairman and MD Glenn Saldanha.

Notable Features of ‘FabiFlu’

• The drug offers broad-spectrum RNA virus coverage with clinical improvement noted across age groups 20-90 years
• It can be used in Covid-19 patients with other medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease
• It provides a rapid reduction in viral load within four days
• It offers faster symptomatic and radiological improvement
• The drug has shown clinical improvement of up to 88% in mild to moderate Covid-19 patients

FabiFlu Recommended Dosage

The Fabiflu dosage is 200 mg X 9 tablets on the first day of treatment and 200 mg X 4 tablets per day for the next 14 days. However, it is a prescription-based medication.

Likewise, other Indian pharmaceutical companies including Brinton Pharmaceuticals, Strides Pharma, Lasa Supergenerics, and Optimus Pharma are waiting for the approval for their product launch.

India witnessed another record spike of 15,183 new Covid-19 cases in a single day on June 21, pushing the tally to 426,910, while the death toll rose to 13,703 with 426 new fatalities.

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