Jubilant Life Sciences launches Remdesivir for injection at ₹4,700 per vial

Guwahati: Jubilant Life Sciences on Monday announced that its subsidiary, Jubilant Generics, has launched Remdesivir for injection under the brand name 'JUBI-R' in the Indian market at a price of ₹4,700 per vial of 100 mg (lyophilized injection).

Jubilant Generics will make the drug available to over 1,000 hospitals providing Covid-19 treatment in India via its distribution network.

Jubilant entered into a non-exclusive licensing contract with Gilead Sciences, Inc. that granted it the right to register, manufacture and sell Gilead's investigational drug Remdesivir in 127 countries, including India, in May 2020.

Remdesivir is the only antiviral drug that has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease.

On July 20, 2020, Jubilant received consent from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to manufacture and sell the investigational antiviral drug JUBI-R aka Remdesivir in the form of 100 mg/vial (lyophilized injection) for restricted emergency use in India for the treatment of severe COVID-19.

'JUBI-R' will require to be administered intravenously in a hospital setting under the supervision of a medical practitioner', the company said in a regulatory filing.

Chairman and Managing Director of Jubilant Pharma Limited, Shyam S. Bhartia said, "It gives us immense satisfaction to launch 'JUBI-R' as this drug has the potential to save precious lives across the globe. We have launched the product at affordable prices and strive to make it available in sufficient quantities to meet the high demand for the drug in the Indian market and in other countries."

"The Company's ability to launch this product in such short timelines highlights our R&D and manufacturing capabilities and our continued commitment to providing leading healthcare solutions. Through the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, we will distribute the drug on compassionate basis to save precious lives of people through unique programs," they added in the joint statement.

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