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What is the News? Drug Controller General of India(DCGI) has granted emergency use approval for pharma major Zydus Cadila’s antiviral drug ‘Virafin’ to treat moderate COVID-19 in adults.
About Virafin Drug:
- Virafin is an antiviral drug. It is administered subcutaneously, i.e., it is injected under the skin. “Zydus Cadila”, a pharma major, manufactured. The drug was originally approved for the treatment of liver disease caused by the hepatitis B and C virus.
- The drug has now been repurposed for treating the moderate COVID-19 disease.
- It has been found that when the drug was given to Covid patients in the early stage, it showed significant improvement in moderate Covid cases.
- The drug was also found to reduce hours of supplemental oxygen required by patients.
- Moreover, patients who were treated with the drug ‘Virafin’ were tested Covid negative within 7 days.
- Hence, after the emergency approval, the drug will now be available on the prescription of a medical specialist for use in hospital/institutional setup.
Source: The Hindu
