India clears Zydus Cadila’s Virafin for treatment of moderate Covid-19

Zydus Cadila has secured restricted emergency use approval for ‘Virafin’, Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b (PegIFN) from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the treatment of moderate Covid-19 infection in adult patients.

According to the Indian pharma company, a single dose subcutaneous regimen of Virafin will make the treatment more easier for the patients.

When administered early on during the infection, the antiviral drug will help the Covid-19 patients have a faster recovery and get away from much of the complications, said Zydus Cadila.

Virafin will be made available in hospital/institutional setup on the prescription of medical specialists.

Drug Controller General of India gives restricted emergency use approval for Zydus Cadila’s Virafin for treatment of moderate Covid-19 in adults. Image courtesy of Daniel Roberts from Pixabay.

The use of the antiviral drug from Zydus Cadila in a multicentric trial held in 20-25 centers across India showed that supplemental oxygen was less required in patients. This indicated that Virafin could control respiratory distress and failure, which has been seen as a major challenge in the treatment of COVID-19.

The antiviral drug has also delivered efficacy against other viral infections, said the Indian pharma company.

Dr. Sharvil Patel – Managing Director of Cadila Healthcare said: “The fact that we are able to offer a therapy which significantly reduces viral load when given early on can help in better disease management. It comes at a much-needed time for patients and we will continue to provide them access to critical therapies in this battle against COVID-19.”

During its phase 3 clinical trials, the Virafin therapy had demonstrated better clinical improvement in COVID-19 patients. A higher proportion of patients in the PegIFN arm were RT PCR negative by day 7 with the antiviral drug ensuring quicker viral clearance.