Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ferozsons from Pakistan will start producing remdesivir of drugs COVID-19

Pakistan will soon begin production of the antiviral drug remdesivir, which has shown promise in treating the new coronavirus, the country’s top health official and chief executive of a pharmaceutical company announced on Friday.

Production should start “in a few weeks,” said Osman Khalid Waheed, chief executive of Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd, which will produce the drug. He spoke at a press conference with Pakistan’s de facto health minister Zafar Mirza.

“Pakistan will be among the top three countries in the world where it will not only be produced but will also be exported worldwide,” said Mirza. It will be exported to 127 countries, he said.

Remdesivir, a drug developed by Gilead Sciences, has drawn attention as one of the most promising treatments for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has killed more than 300,000 people.

To expand its access, Gilead said it signed non-exclusive licensing pacts here with five generic drug manufacturers based in India and Pakistan, allowing them to make and sell remdesivir for 127 countries.

“It is a commitment from us and Gilead that this drug could be produced at minimal cost and made more accessible,” Waheed said.

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Pakistan has recorded 37,218 cases of COVID-19 and 803 deaths. Blockades to stem the spread of the disease are forecast to cause the country’s economy to shrink from 1% to 1.5% in 2020.

Despite the rising infection rate, Pakistan began lifting those blockades last week, primarily to prevent an economic collapse.

Teodora Torrendo
Teodora Torrendohttps://www.ccdiscovery.com
Teodora Torrendo is an investigative journalist and is a correspondent for European Union. She is based in Zurich in Switzerland and her field of work include covering human rights violations which take place in the various countries in and outside Europe. She also reports about the political situation in European Union. She has worked with some reputed companies in Europe and is currently contributing to USA News as a freelance journalist. As someone who has a Masters’ degree in Human Rights she also delivers lectures on Intercultural Management to students of Human Rights. She is also an authority on the Arab world politics and their diversity.

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