Dr. Zafar Mirza, Special Assitant to Prime Minister on Health, announced on Friday that Remdesivir, which is an international drug that is being used for the treatment of coronavirus patients, will soon be produced by a local Pakistani company.
During a press conference, he said, “American company Gilead has manufactured this drug and it has proven effective in treating coronavirus patients.” He added, “It is said that the use of the drug has reduced the intensity of the virus by 30%.”
Mirza said that only five companies around the globe have been given the license to produce the drug. He said, “Among the five companies [granted the license to manufacture the drug] one of them is a Pakistani company,” and called this a “breakthrough news”.
The SAPM said that Remdesivir will be used to treat the COVID-19 patients in the country after it is registered and produced in the country –in the next 6 to 8 weeks.
He said, “It will not only be available for patients in Pakistan but the plan is to export this drug to 127 countries.” “Pakistan will be among three countries in the world to produce and export this to 127 countries. This is a big breakthrough and this is big news for coronavirus patients in Pakistan, who are increasing by the day and are expected to increase more.”