The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has revealed that the potential treatment for COVID-19 is yet not registered in Pakistan.
The clarification came in response to a viral advertisement from the pharmaceutical company, Searle, which has acquired the license to import and distribute the antiviral drug in Pakistan.
Remdesivir is being tested in some parts of the world, including the USA, as a possible treatment for coronavirus.
DRAP issued a notification on June 3 to Searle, condemning the advertising from the pharmaceutical company for Remdesivir Injection at the price of Rs. 20,000/- per dose without registering it with the drug regulatory authority.
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DRAP Assistant Director of Quality Control, Muhammad Ashfaq, issued the notification, saying:
DRAP has yet neither registered Remdesivir of any manufacturer/importer nor MRP has been fixed.
It said that such a move from Searle was unethical, adding that the company violated the rules of the DRAP Act, 2012. The drug regulatory body warned that proceedings against the company will start in two days if it failed to explain its position.
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Searle has also responded to the notification from the regulatory body, saying that pricing in the viral Facebook post was false.
There has been false information spreading about Bemsivir (Remdesivir) Injection prices. Searle dispels the baseless rumors and urges individuals to only refer to information and updates on our official pages and contact persons!
On May 29, Searle announced that it has obtained marketing rights from Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh, to import Remdesivir. The company said that the antiviral drug will be provided free of cost to hospitals.
Curiously wondering about the price of this med in Pakistan,,,