Lupin launches Favipiravir at Rs 49 to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 disease

Pharma major Lupin Limited informed the bourses on Wednesday that the company has launched Favipiravir 200 mg, priced at Rs 49 per tablet.

The newly-launched drug, which was the need of the hour, would be available in the form of a strip of ten tablets, marketed under the brand name of Covihalt. It will be used to treat patients having a mild to moderate COVID-19 disease.

Meanwhile, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries too announced the launch of FluGuard (Favipiravir 200 mg) at Rs 35 per tablet on August 4, 2020. Read it here:

Favipiravir is the only oral anti-viral treatment approved in India for the potential treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease.

Nevertheless, Glenmark Pharma was the first company, which had received regulatory approval for Favipiravir last month. Glenmark has cut down the price of the tablet from Rs 103 to Rs 75.

However, it is to be noted that Favipiravir has not been added to the Ministry of Health’s Clinical Management Protocol due to the lack of enough clinical benefit evidence. 

Lupin is the third-largest pharmaceutical company in the US by prescriptions and in India by global revenue. The company invests around 9.6 per cent of its revenue on research and development.

Today, the stock of Lupin Ltd opened at Rs 943.65 and made an intraday high of Rs 954.35 on BSE.