Remdesivir only on medical prescription to severe COVID-19 patients: Centre

Antiviral drug Remdesivir is to be administered only after a medical prescription and limited to severe condition of COVID19 patients strictly as per medical protocol the Centre told the Supreme Court on FridayA bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud was informed that there is a growing demand from some quarters to permit the use of Remdesivir even when a person is taking treatment at his own home under his own private medical supervisionThe argument in support of this demand is to the effect that permitting Remdesivir would lessen the stress upon hospitals and a patient can take treatment from his private physician at home This argument at first blush appears to be an attractive argumentMore particularly when Remdesivir is to be administered only upon a medical prescription and by a the qualified doctor attending to the patient at his residencethe use of Remdevisir must remain limited to severe condition COVID19 patients strictly as per medical protocol the Centre told the government in its affidavitIt said that Remdesivir is listed as investigational therapy in the National Clinical Management Protocol COVID19 which is prepared by a team of eminent experts of the various fieldsAs per the Clinical Management Protocol of Covid19 prepared by a team of eminent experts in the field it is only moderate to severe cases in which administration of Remdesivir can to be considered that too depending upon the clinical judgment of the treating doctor which in turn would depend upon several health parameters of each patient Centre saidIt said that to keep a check on the pricing of the drug the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority on April 17 2021 released the revised maximum retail price MRP for 100mgVial of Remdesivir as communicated by the licensed manufacturers bringing down the cost of all the major brands to below 3500 per vial to ensure affordability of the injection among the massesThe bench also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat on April 22 took note of the pandemic situation due to sudden surge in COVID19 cases as also in mortality and said it expected the Centre to come out with a national plan to deal with the distribution of essential services and supplies including oxygen and drugsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever