Dr Reddy’s To Release COVID Anti-Viral Drug ‘Molflu’ In India Markets Next Week

New Delhi: India’s drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd will launch its generic version of Merck’s antiviral COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir.

To be sold under the brand name ‘Molflu’, it has been priced at Rs 35 per capsule, a company spokesperson told mediapersons on Tuesday.

The overall cost for a patient treated with a 5-day course of 40 capsules of the generic drug, will come up to Rs 1,400, the NDTV quoted. In comparison, the treatment with Merck’s pill in the United States costs $700.

The recommended dose of Molnupiravir 800 mg is twice a day for five days. A patient needs to take 40 capsules containing 200 mg of medication.

“Molflu is expected to be available from early next week in pharmacies throughout (India) with particular focus on states with high caseload of COVID-19,” the company spokesperson said.

An expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation had last week given emergency approval for the antiviral drug Molnupiravir amid the sharp spike in coronavirus cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Over a dozen pharma companies including Dr Reddy’s, Torrent, Cipla, Sun Pharma,  Natco, Mylan and Hetero were in the process to roll out the oral pill.

Developed by US-based biotechnology company, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in collaboration with US pharma giant Merck, Molnupiravir is also the first oral anti-Covid pill approved by UK’s drug regulator. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has also cleared Molnupiravir for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults, and for those who are at a high risk to severe disease.

Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., (MSD) a subsidiary of Merck, USA, had signed licensing agreements with several generic companies, including the likes of Sun Pharma and Cipla to manufacture and supply the drug in India, and to other over 100 low and middle-income countries.

Molnupiravir is the first oral, direct-acting antiviral shown to be highly effective at reducing nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 infectious virus and viral RNA and has a favorable safety and tolerability profile. India had also cleared vaccines Corbevax and Covovax.

On the other hand, Mankind Pharma’s Molulife (brand name) is also expected to cost Rs 1,400, chairman of Mankind Pharma RC Juneja informed The Economic Times.