Pharma major Lupin Limited (Lupin) today announced the launch of its Favipiravir in India under the brand name Covihalt for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19. Favipiravir has received authorization from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use.

Lupin’s Covihalt dosage strength has been developed keeping in mind the convenience of administration. It is available as 200 mg tablets in the form of a strip of 10 tablets and priced at Rs. 49 per tablet.

Commenting on the development, Rajeev Sibal, President – India Region Formulations (IRF) said, “Lupin has always been committed to the fight against life-threatening diseases. COVID-19 is a global pandemic and in India we are seeing a surge in the number of cases on a daily basis. In these tough times, it is our duty to support the nation in fighting this pandemic and ensuring affordable drugs are made available for impacted patients. Covihalt, Lupin’s Favipiravir drug, is a vital step in this direction. We believe that we can leverage our expertise in managing widespread community diseases like TB to proactively reach patients across India and ensure access to Covihalt through our strong distribution network and field force.”

According to Dr. Rajesh Swarnakar, National Secretary Indian Chest Society, “In any pandemic, it is imperative to enforce rapid health management efforts which include disease control through effective and safe medication. Favipiravir has shown excellent results in the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19. We remain optimistic about its indispensable role in combating the disease.”

Dr. Agam Vora, Ex-President of Geriatric Society Of India, added, “More than ever before, it is at this time that we need pharma companies to come together and direct their resources at fulfilling the need for affordable, effective and safe drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. Favipiravir is one such option that has demonstrated highly effective results in clinical studies with an efficacy of over 80%, without any significant safety concern.”

Lupin is an innovation-led transnational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, India. The Company develops and commercializes a wide range of branded and generic formulations, biotechnology products and APIs in over 100 markets in the U.S., India, South Africa and across the Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), Europe and Middle-East regions.

The Company enjoys a leadership position in the cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, and respiratory segments and has a significant presence in the anti-infective, gastro-intestinal (GI), central nervous system (CNS) and women’s health areas. Lupin is the third-largest pharmaceutical company in the U.S. by prescriptions and in India by global revenues. The Company invests 9.6 % of its revenues on research and development.

Lupin has fifteen manufacturing sites, seven research centers, more than 20,000 professionals working globally, and has been consistently recognized as a ‘Great Place to Work’ in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals sector.