While pharma companies across the world are rushing to develop a treatment or vaccine for the fast-spreading novel coronavirus that has killed more than 4 lakh people and roiled the financial markets, Glenmark on Saturday announced that it had launched an anti-viral drug for the most dreaded Covid-19.

Glenmark stated that the drug was launched with the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence (DGCI) approval. However, the antiviral drug is likely to help in treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 patients. Named as FabiFlu, the drug is the first oral Favipiravir-approved medication in India for the treatment of Covid-19. The pharma company received a green signal for the manufacturing and marketing of Fabiflu. Fabiflu is an orally administered drug.

According to a press note, Favipiravir can be used in corona patients with comorbidities such as diabetes and heart diseases with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms which has shown around 88 per cent clinical improvement in such cases. With this, Glenmark is the first pharma firm in the country to receive conducting phase III clinical trials on mild to moderate Covid-19 patients. The antiviral drug comes at a time when India is grappling with an alarming surge in Covid-19 cases.

Currently, there is no specific treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19). People with COVID 19 should receive supportive care to relieve symptoms. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease.

Telangana Chief Minister had last month announced that three pharma companies in the state are in race to launch the vaccine. He had said Bharat Biotech, Biological Evans and Shanta Biotech were gearing up to launch two types of vaccines by August and September.

Bengaluru-based Sun Pharmaceutical also announced that it was testing a plant-derived drug, AQCH, for the potential treatment of COVID-19 as part of a mid-stage trial, with results expected by October.