What's behind India's Remedesivir shortage ?

As Covid-19 cases in India surged, so did the demand for Remdesivir and with it came indiscriminate usage, hoarding, and black marketers, causing artificial shortage to jack up prices. India on Sunday halted the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients used in Covid-19 treatment, in the wake of a sudden spike in demand due to a steady rise in coronavirus disease cases across the country. In an official press release, the central government said it is expecting a "further increase in demand" for the drug in the coming days. The World Health Organization (WHO) last year in November found no evidence that the drug improved survival and other outcomes in Covid-19 patients. Several states in India have reported a shortage of the drug following a rise in its demand amid a record surge in Covid-19 infections across the country.

Here's a brief timeline, mapping the drug's journey:

Remdesivir, originally developed to treat hepatitis C and subsequently tested against Ebola, initially made the headlines during the early stages of research into the coronavirus disease treatment. It was WHO that first hit the brakes on Remdesivir's prospects on November 20 last year, recommending that doctors avoid using the drug altogether.

"There is currently no evidence that Remdesivir improves survival and other outcomes in these patients,” the WHO noted, citing detailed studies it sponsored. “The evidence suggested no important effect on mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, time to clinical improvement, and other patient-important outcomes.” Even so, Gilead Sciences Inc, the drug's manufacturer, pushed back, saying it stood by Remdesivir and citing other studies supporting its efficacy. #Thewokeindia #Remdesivir #कोरोना #coronavirus #Covid19 #Chhattisgarh #Indore #Bhopal #Lockdown #morraipur #stayhome #healthministry #latestnews #aajtak #NDTV