40 pharma companies interested in producing anti COVID-19 drug, DRDO tells Madras High Court

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday informed the Madras High Court that it had invited Expression of Interest to supply its 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), an adjunct drug to deal with COVID-19 sufferers, and thus far 40 pharmaceutical companies had proven curiosity in manufacturing it.(*40*)

Appearing earlier than the second Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and T.V. Thamilselvi, Additional Solicitor General R. Sankaranarayanan stated the DRDO was extremely interested in making certain that the drug, developed by its Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, could possibly be manufactured in as a lot amount as doable inside the shortest doable time.(*40*)

The submission was made in response to a public curiosity litigation petition filed by personal sector worker D. Saravanan of Chennai complaining that DRDO had given a licence to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories in Hyderabad alone for manufacturing the oral powder at a price of ₹990 for a sachet of two.34g and to not another pharma firm in the nation.(*40*)

The ASG stated the DRDO had fastened June 17 because the final date for submitting an Expression of Interest to fabricate the drug and that 40 companies had responded. After recording his submission, the judges reserved their verdict and requested the ASG to flow into all paperwork associated to the case.(*40*)

The courtroom additionally took word of a submission made by a litigant that the DRDO’s drug was very efficient and {that a} girl COVID-19 affected person, with comorbidities, had a magical remedy after being administered with 30 sachets of the drug at a price of round ₹30,000. He stated the physician who handled the affected person was additionally able to vouch for its efficacy.(*40*)