Glenmark In Third Stage Of Clinical Trials On Anti-Viral Favipiravir For COVID-19

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has commenced phase 3 of the clinical trials on anti-viral tablet Favipiravir in India, the news agency ANI reported on Tuesday. Glenmark thus became the first pharmaceutical company in the country to do so.

Glenmark further said that the molecule if commercialised, will be marketed under the brand name of FabiFlu in India and that health and medical experts are eager to see its effect on COVID-19 patients. Favipiravir is known to have been approved in Japan for the treatment of novel influenza virus infections.

Glenmark had obtained approval from the drug controller general of India (DCGI) in late April for Favipiravir, a generic version of Avigan of Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co Ltd in Japan, ANI further said.

Glenmark in a statement on Tuesday is reported to have said that clinical trials have commenced and that over 10 leading government and private hospitals in the country are being signed up for the study. The pharma giant hopes to complete the study by July or August.

Glenmark has developed the formulations and the active pharma ingredients (API) for Favipiravir through its in-house Research and Development (R & D) team.

A senior Glenmark official is quoted by ANI as saying that the study results will prove to be significant as there is no effective treatment currently available for COVID-19. The data which these trials would generate will point to a clearer direction with regard to COVID-19 treatment as also its management.

Glenmark was the first pharmaceutical company in the country to be lent approval by the regulator to commence trials on COVID-19 patients in India. The treatment duration is over a time span of 14 days maximum while the total duration of the study would be a maximum of 28 days from randomisation.

Glenmark will conduct the study on 150 subjects with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms randomised in a 1:1 ratio to Favipiravir with standard supportive care or standalone standard supportive care, according to ANI.