Central Drugs Body Showcauses Glenmark Over False Claim And Pricing Of FabiFlu

Mumbai: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has slapped a showcause notice on Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Glenmark over “false claim and pricing” of FabiFlu, their recently approved generic version of COVID-19 drug favipiravir.

According to media reports, CDSCO had received a complaint from a Member of Parliament (MP) stating that the cost of treatment with Fabiflu is around Rs 12,500.

According to the complaint, the cost proposed by Glenmark is “not in the interest of the poor, lower middle-class and middle-class people of India”.

The CDSCO comes under Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

However, as per the notice, this trial was not designed to assess FabiFlu in co-morbid conditions. No clinically sufficient data specific to these conditions are available.

As per Glenmark, the cost of FabiFlu is Rs 103 per tablet, which the patient has to take for 14 days.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd had said on Monday that it would lower the price of FabiFlu to Rs 75 per tablet for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in India.

Also Read: COVID-19 Treatment: Glenmark Slashes Price Of FabiFlu By 27%