Bengaluru: Indian drugmaker Cipla, has priced its generic version of Remdesivir, Cipremi at Rs 4,000 ($53.34) per 100 mg vial, making it among the lowest-priced versions of the COVID-19 treatment available so far globally, India Today reported quoting Reuters.
Cipla was earlier quoted as saying that the price would not exceed Rs 5,000.
Sovereign Pharma, which is manufacturing and packaging the drug for Cipla, dispatched the first batch on Tuesday, said the report.
The first batch of 10,000 vials had been printed with a price of Rs 4,000 per vial, which is Rs 800 below the price of European competitor Mylan.
The drug will be available through the government and hospitals only, the company was reported to have said.
Cipla India business chief executive officer and executive vice president Nikhil Chopra said in an emailed statement that the company was launching Cipremi commercially on Wednesday and aims to supply over 80,000 vials within the first month, reported India Today.
The drug will be available through the government and hospitals only, the company said.
According to Remdesivir’s developer, Gilead Sciences Inc, a patient would typically need six vials of Remdesivir for a five-day course.
