The anti-viral to treat coronavirus positive patients has been developed, Pharmaceutical manufacturer Strides Pharma Science said on Wednesday, adding the drug has demonstrated positive outcomes on COVID-19 positive patients so far. Officially called 'Favipiravir', the drug is believed to have proven to reduce the duration of coronavirus infection among patients. It has also resulted in the improvement of patients suffering from lung infections, Strides Pharma Science said.

According to the chief executive officer and managing director R Ananthanarayanan, Strides Pharma Science is the first Indian company to develop and commercially launch Favipiravir tablets for global markets.

The product is available in 400 mg and 200 mg strengths and is being exported to Gulf countries.

Initially known as Avigan, was developed in Japan to treat influenza. It has been called one of the most promising drug against the virus by the government task force.

In a statement, Strides has said it would immediately apply to Indian drug authorities to commence necessary studies and make the drug available to Indians expeditiously.

The tablets are being manufactured at Strides’ flagship facility in Bengaluru, which can produce up to 6 billion units of solid orals annually.

Incorporated in 1990, Strides Pharma Science Limited is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bangalore, India. The Company has two business verticals, viz., Regulated Markets and Emerging Markets.
Strides has a global manufacturing footprint with seven manufacturing facilities spread across three continents, including four US FDA approved facilities and two facilities for the emerging markets.

The Company has always been  quick to identify difficult-to-operate niche domains and continue to excel in those spheres. Today Stride have more scale, knowledge, global presence and partners.Priority now is to simplify the operating model, focus more on innovation and create a diversified global business dedicated R&D facility in India with global filing capabilities and a strong footprint across 100 countries.