DCGI Approves Zydus Drug Virafin for COVID Treatment

New Delhi- The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave consent to the emergy use of Zydus' anti-viral drug called Virafin as it has shown the potential to reduce the need for supply of oxygen support and improve recovery time for patients moderately affected by the novel coronavirus. 

This anti-viral drug can prove to be immensely beneficial for India at a time when its infrastructural healthcare system is heavily overburdened as the cases of the novel coronavirus are skyrocketing and spiraling out of control with every passing day.  Read more

The pharmaceutical company Zydus stated that 91.15 percent of adult patients treated with Virafin tested negative for coronavirus using RT-PCR negative in seven days. Virafin is a single-dose subcutaneous injection, meaning it has to be administered under the skin regimen. 

The pharma company says that when Virafin is administered in the early phase of COVID-19, it will help patients recover faster and avoid many complications. It also added by saying that Virafin will be available on the prescription of a medical specialist for use in hospital/institutional setups. Read more

Zydus also claims that this anti-viral drug also helps in reducing respiratory distress. 

A multicentric trial conducted in 20-25 centers across India showed that Virafin has the ability to control respiratory disorder and even failure, which has been the major challenge in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 infection. 

This drug has shown efficacies against other viral diseases as well. 

Virafin has shown to reduce the viral load when given early on which is instrumental in the management of this deadly infectious disease. 

"It comes at a much-needed time for patients and we will continue to provide them with access to critical therapies in this battle against Covid-19," said Dr Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Cadila Healthcare Limited. Read more

Virafin, when administered during the early stage of the infection shows the ability to replace the deficiency of Interferon Alpha in the body. Type-1 interferons are the body's first line of defense against deadly viruses which decreases with age, hence this anti-viral drug can assist elderly patients with higher mortality. 

Meanwhile, India yet again breaks its previous day's record as it records the highest single-day spike 3.32 Lakh fresh cases of the novel coronavirus. 2,263 COVID-induced deaths have been reported from across the country taking the total tally of deaths so far to 1.86 Lakh. The number of active caseloads in the country amounts to 24.22 Lakh taking the total tally of caseload to 1.62 Crores. Today is the second straight day that India has reported more than 3 lakh cases, making it the second-worst coronavirus-affected country in the world, only after the United States of America which is the worst affected country. 

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