Daily Times

A Pakistani pharmaceutical company will manufacture the anti-viral drug Remdesivir which had been approved to treat coronavirus patients.

Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza said the drug will be manufactured within two months and will also be available for COVID-19 patients in Pakistan.

“American company Gilead has manufactured this drug and it has proven effective in treating coronavirus patients,” he said. “It is said that the use of the drug has reduced the intensity of the virus by 30%.”

Dr Mirza said that five companies in the world had been granted the license to manufacture the drug. “Among the five companies [granted the license to manufacture the drug] one of them is a Pakistani company,” he said, referring to it as a “breakthrough news”.

He said that the medicine will be available for COVID-19 patients in Pakistan after it is registered within six to eight weeks and manufactured in the country.

“It will not only be available for patients in Pakistan but the plan is to export this drug to 127 countries,” he said. “Pakistan will be among three countries in the world to produce and export this to 127 countries. This is a big breakthrough and this is big news for coronavirus patients in Pakistan, who are increasing by the day and are expected to increase more.”

Ferozsons Laboratories Limited CEO Osman Khalid Waheed said that it would be the company’s aim to sell the drug at the least cost.