INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Cadila Healthcare Ltd has sought approval from local regulators to use a Hepatitis C drug as a treatment for COVID-19 following promising
interim results from a late-stage trial, the drugmaker said on Monday.A single dose of the Hepatitis C drug when taken early could help
COVID-19 patients recover faster and avoid complications seen in the advanced stages of the disease, Cadila said in a statement to stock
exchanges.About 91 per cent of patients treated with the drug tested negative for COVID-19 in standard RT-PCR tests by day seven, compared
to nearly 79 per cent who were given the standard of care, the company said citing Phase-III clinical trial data.The drug, known as
Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b and branded as 'PegiHep' by Cadila, was originally approved for liver disease Hepatitis C and launched in
It is being repurposed to treat COVID-19.The news comes as daily coronavirus infections are surging to new highs in India, which has the
world's third-highest caseload after the United States and Brazil
India has so far reported close to 12.5 million infections and more than 164,000 deaths.
