Hyderabad's Avra Labs making Favipiravir API for Cipla's drug

Hyderabad: City-based Avra Laboratories Pvt Ltd has been granted regulatory approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to manufacture and market Favipiravir API, which will help patients suffering from Covid-19.

Avra has developed an alternative low cost and highly efficient manufacturing process and is now supplying commercial quantities to Cipla for the launch of Ciplenza, the generic version of Favipiravir.

Dr A V Rama Rao, Chairman, Avra Laboratories, said, "I am very pleased to be working with Cipla and Dr Yusuf Hamied again with whom I share a five-decade long association and friendship, during which time we collaborated on several projects to produce lifesaving drugs including anti-cancer, anti-HIV/AIDS and several other generic products. The current pandemic has brought us together to work tirelessly for the speedy launch of Favipiravir"

Avra was founded by Dr Rao, the former director of CSIR-IICT. He spent his entire academic career working with and nurturing the Indian pharmaceutical industry till his retirement in 1995. It was the efforts of Dr A V Rama Rao and his research group at CSIR-IICT that developed the anti-AIDS drugs for Cipla way back in the 1990's which ultimately led to saving millions of lives.