Bangladeshi firm Beximco Pharmaceuticals said it has become the world's first company to launch the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, which may effectively treat COVID-19 in patients, the firm said in a statement Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2020) Bangladeshi firm Beximco Pharmaceuticals said it has become the world's first company to launch the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, which may effectively treat COVID-19 in patients, the firm said in a statement Thursday.
Beximco said it received the go-ahead to produce the US developed drug from the US Directorate General of Drug Administration under the Emergency Use Authorisation.
"We are pleased to be the first generic company in the world to introduce this very important drug for treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients," Nazmul Hassan, managing director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals, said.
Hassan went on to say that the drug, which the company has named Bemsivir, will be delivered to government hospitals free of charge.
"We recognise the essential service Government hospitals provide to patients across the country free of charge. We are therefore delighted to donate Bemsivir to patients with severe COVID-19 in Government hospitals," Hassan added in the statement.
Developed by US laboratory Gilead Sciences, Remdesivir was initially generated to treat hepatitis C but was then pitched as treatment for ebola, SARS and MERS with varying degrees of effectiveness.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Remdesivir has been subject of much discussion as treatment for patients.
Although clinical trials on the drug's effectiveness are still ongoing, US chief epidemiologist Anthony Fauci has said that early results are promising.
