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    A full Molnupiravir treatment likely to cost up to Rs 3,000

    Synopsis

    The recommended dose of molnupiravir is 800 mg twice a day for five days. With companies planning to launch 200 mg capsules, a patient will need to swallow 40 of them during the course of the treatment.

    Story size - 2021-11-11T112401.612Reuters
    Molnupiravir, the antiviral drug that has got the Drug Controller General of India's emergency use approval for treatment of Covid-19, is expected to cost between ₹2,000 and ₹3,000 for full treatment, people aware of the matter told ET. About 13 drug companies in the country are set to roll out the drug developed by MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. All the firms are tight-lipped on its pricing.

    The recommended dose of molnupiravir is 800 mg twice a day for five days. With companies planning to launch 200 mg capsules, a patient will need to swallow 40 of them during the course of the treatment. At least six brands of molnupiravir - from Natco Pharma, JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals (JBCPL), Hetero Drugs, Mankind Pharma, Viatris (formerly Mylan), and Sun Pharma - are expected to hit the market by early next week, stockists told ET.

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    "Stocks of molnupiravir are expected to reach us by January 3," said Rajesh Jain, managing director of Pune-based pharmaceutical wholesaler Arihant Chemist. Drug companies have begun sending literature related to the drug to doctors. "Molnupiravir mirrors favipirar that saw dozens of companies launching it, leading to crash of prices," said Hari Natarajan, MD of Pronto Consult.

    Pill to be tested on 1k patients

    Molnupiravir will be tested on 1,000 patients to assess its safety. The updated details of the clinical trial will have to be submitted within three months, said the copy regarding the permission for manufacture and marketing of the drug issued by India's drug regulator. One of the conditions is that, as part of post marketing surveillance, the companies will have to submit periodic safety update reports to the drug regulator. The companies have also been asked to continue studies on stability. ET has seen the copy of the condition of permission.

    (with inputs from Teena Thacker)


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