Remdesivir production increased from 38.80 lakh to 1.19 crore vials a month, Centre tells HC

‘Export of the drug has been prohibited and it is also being imported from Egypt’

The Centre on Monday told the Madras High Court that seven Indian licensees of patented anti-viral drug Remdesivir were manufacturing only 27 lakh vials a month as on April 1 this year, though their installed capacity was 38.80 lakh a month. Now, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in certain parts of the country, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has permitted them to produce as many as 1.19 crore vials a month. Appearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) R. Sankaranarayanan said the patent for Remdesivir was held by Gilead of the United States and only seven Indian companies were manufacturing the drug here, under license agreements. DCGI V.G. Somani jumped into action when the demand for the drug increased recently. In order to enhance the production capacity of the seven licensed manufacturers, the DCGI approved 35 additional manufacturing sites apart from the 22 that were in existence. It resulted in enhanced manufacturing capacity of 70 lakh vials as on April 23 and 1.19 crore vials as on May 15. Consequently, the Centre increased the allocation of Remdesivir to 53 lakh vials to various States for the period between April 21 to May 16.