Jubilant Generics, from Nanjangud in the Mysuru district, which was in the news as a COVID-19 cluster in March and April, would now manufacture Active Pharma Ingredient (API) for Remdesivir, launched by Jubilant Life Sciences Limited, under the brand name ‘Jubi-R’, a statement said on August 4.
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The first COVID-19 patient related to Jubilant Generics was identified on March 26, in Mysuru. When the COVID count clocked 90 in Mysuru district, 74 of them were either directly or indirectly related to Jubilant Generics. However, all of them recovered. Jubilant Generics Limited (Jubilant), a subsidiary of Jubilant Life Sciences Limited, has launched remdesivir ‘Jubi-R’ for injection at a price of Rs 4,700 per vial of 100 mg (lyophilized injection). According to the statement, the chairman and managing director of Jubilant said, ''The company will provide the drug to over 1,000 hospitals providing COVID treatment across India. Jubilant’s 24-hour helpline will enhance access to Jubi-R. Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation of Jubilant Group, is launching programmes to increase the accessibility of Jubi-R to patients below the poverty line and to frontline paramedical staff.''
The Co-chairman Jubilant said, ''In May, Jubilant entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences that granted the right to register, manufacture and sell Gilead’s investigational drug remdesivir in 127 countries including India. Remdesivir is the only antiviral drug that has received Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID in adults and children.'' He added that, ''On July 20, Jubilant received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to manufacture and market the investigational antiviral drug remdesivir (Jubi-R) for restricted emergency use in India for treatment of severe COVID-19. Jubi-R should be administered intravenously in a hospital setting, under the supervision of a medical practitioner.''
