Searle to produce anti-viral drug Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients

KARACHI: A top Pakistani Pharmaceutical Company Searle Limited has effectively entered into a special licensing & marketing contract with Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh to launch a lifesaving drug for COVID19 patients.

CEO of the Searle Company, Syed Nadeem Ahmed said Searle’s main aim is to make the lives of people easier – to ease suffering and to generally improve living conditions for Pakistani.

Searle is the first and only pharmaceutical company in Pakistan to source the basic version of Remdesivir for the treatment of coronavirus through the Patient Access Program. Remdesivir is a direct-acting broad-spectrum antiviral drug that inhibits viral RNA synthesis.

Administered intravenously, Remdesivir is approved by the US Food & Drug Association (FDA) and has been certified for the treatment of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 disease, across U.S. and Japan.

The Government of Pakistan has authorized this product under section 96 of the Securities Act, 2015, and clause 5.6.1(a) of the Rule Book of the Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited.

This will give an instant supply of the product at an affordable price and help healthcare providers of Pakistan to treat their coronavirus patients without any delay.

ECO Syed Nadeem Ahmed said initially, the company is planning to import Remdesivir to meet the country’s urgent requirements by distributing it free of cost to COVID-19 units and hospitals across Pakistan.

He said Searle also plans to donate a sizeable quantity to the health authorities to assist them in the battle against the epidemic more effectively.

The company was amongst the first ones to take the initiative of donating PPEs and crucial equipment to frontline healthcare providers across the country.

To this date, Searle is the biggest donor, given more than 100,000 PPE including Hazmat Suits, Hand Sanitizers, Latex, and Nitrile Gloves, N95 masks and thousands of other Personal Protective Equipment, Ahmed added.

Earlier, Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza had said a Pakistani pharmaceutical company will manufacture the anti-viral drug Remdesivir which had been approved to treat coronavirus patients.

Dr Zafar Mirza said the drug will be manufactured within two months and will also be available for COVID-19 patients in Pakistan.

“American company Gilead has manufactured this drug and it has proven effective in treating coronavirus patients,” he said. “It is said that the use of the drug has reduced the intensity of the virus by 30%.”

Dr Mirza said that five companies in the world had been granted the license to manufacture the drug including one Pakistani pharmaceutical company, calling it a “breakthrough step”. 

He said that Pakistan will be among the three countries in the world to produce and export the drug to 127 countries. “This is a big breakthrough and this is big news for coronavirus patients in Pakistan, who are increasing by the day and are expected to increase more,” he said.