Torrent & Cadila Pharmaceuticals get license to manufacture oral antiviral Covid-19 pill nirmatrelvir

based in Ahmedabad Pharmaceutical products torrent and Cadila Pharmaceutical said today that it has received a license to manufacture a generic version of Pfizer's oral antiviral covid-19 pill – nirmatrelvirthrough a license Drug patent pool (MPP), a United Nations-based public health organization that works to increase access to life-saving medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

Torrent stated that it has entered into a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license agreement to use the patents and know-how relating to the compound nirmatrelvir with MPP.

Aman Mehta, CEO Torrent Pharmaceuticals said: "We are pleased to enter into this agreement with MPP and it is part of our ongoing effort to make Covid treatments as accessible to patients as possible."

Cadila said it will cater to the Indian and export markets as many countries with high COVID-19 burden lack access to effective therapy.

"We are pleased to partner with MPP to make a generic version of the innovative drug PAXLOVID for the global community and contribute to reducing the health burden due to the pandemic. We reiterate our commitment to making affordable innovations available to the last man in society,” said Rajiv Modi, CMD, Cadila Pharmaceutical products in a release.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of Paxlovid, nirmatrelvir tablets, and ritonavir tablets, packaged together for oral use to treat mild to moderate risk Covid-19 in adults and pediatric patients over 12 years of age. age weighing at least 40 kg.

“Pfizer’s PAXLOVIDTM consists of nirmatrelvir, which inhibits a SARS-CoV-2 protein to prevent the virus from replicating, and ritonavir, which slows the breakdown of nirmatrelvir to help it stay in the body longer at higher concentrations. tall,” Cadila said.

Pfizer's Paxlovid is given as three tablets (two nirmatrelvir tablets and one ritonavir tablet) taken together orally twice a day for five days, for 30 tablets.

The drug is available by prescription only and should be started as soon as possible after the diagnosis of Covid-19 and within five days of the onset of symptoms.

The FDA granted emergency use authorization to Pqxlovod following clinical data from the Phase 2/3 trial, which enrolled non-hospitalized adults 18 years and older with confirmed Covid-19 at increased risk of progressing to severe disease.

The data showed an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death from any cause related to COVID-19 in adults treated with Paxlovid, compared to placebo, within three days of symptom onset.