In a statement, the drugmaker said, "The drug will be made available across India through the group’s strong distribution chain reaching out to government and private hospitals treating COVID patients.
In June 2020, Zydus inked a non-exclusive agreement with Gilead Sciences Inc to manufacture and sell Remdesivir, the investigational drug, which has been issued an emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat critical patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Earlier in some Indian states officials had complained about supply issues, but a top executive at drugmaker Cipla told the business daily that the supplies were stabilising.
The active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for the drug has been developed and manufactured at the group’s API manufacturing facilities in Gujarat. The group’s plasmid DNA vaccine ZyCov-D is currently in Phase II of the Adaptive Phase I&II clinical trials.
In India, Zydus emerges as the fifth company to launch a copy of the antiviral after pharma companies such as Hetero Labs, Cipla, Mylan NV and Jubilant Life Sciences.
Officials in some Indian states had a few weeks ago complained of supply issues, but a top executive at drugmaker Cipla had earlier this week said the supplies were stabilising.
The US firm Gilead has inked licensing agreements with Dr.Reddy's Laboratories and Syngene International for production of remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries, including India.
The country's coronavirus count reached 23,96,638 including 6,53,622 active cases, 16,95,982 discharged and 47,033 deaths.