Biophore India Pharma arm gets CDSCO nod to manufacture, sell generic version of Pfizer COVID drug Paxlovid

This approval by the CDSCO has been granted under the emergency authorization route considering the unmet medical need in COVID-19 for an effective and affordable therapy for the patients Dr. Jagadeesh Babu Rangisetty, Co-founder and Managing Director at Zenara Pharma, says, "We believe Paxzen is an extremely effective treatment option against COVID-19 and, at the same time, is a verycomplex product to develop and manufacture. We have brought this product to the market in record time and this is one of the first approvals of this product in India. I am proud to say that we have our own in-house API and are not dependent on any imports for the production. We believe that this will ensure stability and rapid production and availability of this treatment for the Indian market."

This product's breakthrough approval in the US was given by the US FDA in Dec 2021 and is indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults. It was the first oral pill that has been approved by USFDA and with a better safety profile than subsequently approved oral therapies.

Dr Srinivas Arutla, CEO, Zenara Pharma, says, "We expect to launch Paxzen in the next couple of weeks and are in talks with multiple institutions and several hospitals in India to ensure that the product is readily available for patients in need. We are also likely to tie up with other partners across the country to increase patient coverage and have been inviting discussions on the same"