Triggering a competition on prices front, Pune-based Brinton Pharmaceuticals Limited has announced launching Favipiravir anti-viral tablets at ₹59 per tablet, a tad lower than Glenmark’s FabiFlu.
Announcing the launch Brinton Pharmaceuticals informed that the company has received approval from the drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to market Favipiravir under the brand name Faviton.
“As a socially responsible company, we always wanted to launch ‘evidence-based cure’ to combat Covid-19. Our strategic intent will be to improve the access through our strong distribution network that will help make Faviton available across all Covid treatment centres and our MRP is ₹59 per tab,” said Rahulkumar Darda, CMD, Brinton Pharmaceuticals.
Glenmark had earlier priced its FabiFlu at ₹103/tab and then reduced the price to ₹75/tab claiming to be the lowest market cost as compared to the cost of Favipiravir in other countries. India is becoming a promising bet for the Covid-19 drug makers considering country’s growing case load with most patients showing mild to moderate viral load.
Emerging favourable global clinical evidences have suggested that Favipiravir is an effective treatment option in the management of mild to moderate Covid-19. “This is an orally administered medication, it is more convenient compared to intravenously administered medicines,” said the company in a statement.
India had approved Favipiravir first in June under emergency use authorisation to treat Covid-19 patients.
Notably, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals had internally developed the API and the formulations for a Favipiravir tablet. Glenmark was one of the first companies to approach the regulator to seek approval to conduct clinical trials on Favipiravir tablets in mild to moderate Covid-19 patients, and the same was granted in late April.
After facing questions over its pricing of the drug, Glenmark had claimed that FabiFlu was much more economical as against other available medicine options including Remdesivir, Tocilizumab and Itolizumab injections.
Brinton Pharmaceuticals informed that it will make the drug available in 200 mg tablets and look to export Faviton globally.
Faviton will be available in a strip of 10 tablets and 50 tablets in a box — a rational pack for the treatment. Faviton is indicated in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 disease and comes with 90-days shelf-life, a company statement said.