Biophore India gets DCGI nod to COVID drug Favipiravir

"The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for pharmaceutical companies to step up and develop effective solutions quickly, without compromising on safety.

We have ensured that our favipiravir meets the highest standards of quality," Founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Biophore, Manik Reddy Pullagurla said.

"Our manufacturing facilities comply with US and EU regulations and we have stringent internal impurity controls and quality checks to ensure that.

Meeting favipiravir needs in India is our priority, and we have the capacity to scale up production to meet local requirements, without compromising on our export commitments," he said.

Favipiravir is an antiviral agent that was initially discovered and developed because of its activity against another RNA (ribonucleic acid) virus, the influenza virus.

Apart from India and Turkey, it has already been approved for use against COVID-19 in Russia and parts of the Middle East while advanced stage trials are currently underway in other parts of the world.

CEO of Biophore, Jagadeesh Babu Rangisetty said all starting materials and complex intermediates for making favipiravir are either sourced locally or have been developed in-house for use.

"We are confident that this API will help our country move several steps forward in our united fight against Covid- 19," Jagadeesh Babu said.

Biophore is also awaiting DCGI approval for a favipiravir finished dosage form.

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