'WORLD'S FIRST GENERIC NIRMATRELVIR AND RITONAVIR COMBINATION' launched by Eskayef

Eskayef Pharmaceuticals yesterday rolled out the world's first generic version of Pfizer's Covid pill Paxlovid, offering a highly effective defence against severe illness from the coronavirus in Bangladesh, where the majority of the population remain unvaccinated.

Called Paxovir, the oral treatment, which received the Directorate General of Drug Administration's (DGDA) emergency use authorisation yesterday, can be prescribed to Covid patients aged 12 and over.

The treatment, which can be administered to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, consists of 30 pills taken over five days.

Paxlovid is a combination of two drugs, one called nirmatrelvir that was designed to interfere with an enzyme the coronavirus uses to make copies of itself. The other drug, ritonavir, is an antiviral that slows down the body's metabolism of the other medication.

Officials at an event on Eskayef launching the world’s first generic version of Nirmatrelvir, co-packaged with Ritonavir, at its Banani office yesterday evening. Photo: Collected

Pfizer said its antiviral pill was found to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by 88 percent when given to unvaccinated people at high risk of severe Covid within five days of the onset of symptoms.

Its laboratory studies indicated that Paxlovid is likely to work against the Omicron variant, which is tearing through the globe at present.

This is the second oral anti-Covid drug rolled out by Eskayef, which last month brought out the antiviral pill Molnupiravir developed by Merck.

Paxlovid though appears to be substantially more effective than molupiravir, which reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death for high-risk patients by 30 percent.

"When the entire world is waiting for an oral anti-Covid medicine with a higher success rate, we are pleased to launch Paxovir as the world's first generic Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir combination for the people of Bangladesh and across the world," said Simeen Rahman, managing director and chief executive officer of Eskayef Pharmaceuticals.

Eskayef got the formulation for the paxlovid from Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed non-profit that works to make medical treatment and technologies globally accessible.

Following concerns that poor countries could be shut out of access to the medicine, much as they have been for vaccines, Pfizer in November granted a royalty-free licence for the pill to Medicines Patent Pool.

The Medicines Patent Pool has deep experience in working with a network of global drugmakers that can meet high-quality standards, including those required for the World Health Organisation prequalification.

The deal allows the drug to be made and sold cheaply in 95 developing nations, with no fee required from the sublicensing company.

Paxovir would be manufactured at Eskayef's state-of-the-art plant approved by the UK's Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration and has the EU's Goods Manufacturing Practice certification.

"Ensuring every possible treatment option against Covid-19 is core to our purpose of serving humanity during this darkest era of the century," she said.

Last year, Eskayef was among the first drug makers in the world to roll out antiviral remdesivir, a drug that had generated intense interest as a treatment for Covid-19.

The Transcom Group subsidiary, which exports to 65 countries, had shipped its version of remdesivir called Remivir to 43 countries.

"This promising new treatment option is definitely a significant step in fighting the battle against Covid-19," she added.

Health officials and doctors welcomed the launch of Paxovir as it would ease the burden on hospitals in Bangladesh as Omicron looms.

"This is good news -- we have been waiting for a new antiviral drug that is effective for a long time," said ABM Abdullah, noted medicine specialist and personal physician of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He suggested that the price of the medicine should be affordable and accessible in remote parts of the country so that all can access the pill.

"It is a great success of the country's pharmaceuticals industry," said Nazmul Islam, director of Communicable Diseases Control at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The oral medicine was badly needed for Bangladesh, said Robed Amin, spokesperson of DGHS.

Paxovir will strengthen the ongoing battle against Covid, said Faruk Ahmed, director of Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital.

Meanwhile, the DGDA yesterday issued emergency usage authorisation for the same drug to Beximco Pharmaceuticals.