Why is India reluctant to include Molnupiravir in its arsenal against Covid?

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The choice via way of means of the Covid-19 National Task Force now no longer to consist of Covid antiviral drug molnupiravir withinside the countrywide remedy protocol mentioning protection concerns, whilst the drug reveals location withinside the Maharashtra authorities’s Covid-19 recommendations to deal with a small subset of patients, has caused confusion amongst docs.

Several docs ET spoke to stated ICMR’s choice to now no longer consist of the drug creates confusion, and wondered what the scientific studies frame changed into doing whilst the drug changed into accredited for limited emergency use via way of means of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

“It has honestly created numerous confusion,” stated Vasant Nagvekar, an infectious illnesses expert at Mumbai-primarily based totally Lilavati Hospital and member of the Maharashtra authorities’s Covid-19 assignment force.

Nagvekar stated as consistent with the Maharashtra authorities protocol the drug can be taken into consideration for people above sixty five and people who’re at excessive chance for progressing to intense disorder. “We do not have precise remedies for those groups,” Nagvekar stated.

“Molnupiraivir can also additionally have a function in people at a excessive chance of deterioration, in particular if unvaccinated,” stated Lancelot Pinto, representative pulmonologist and epidemiologist at Mumbai-primarily based totally PD Hinduja Hospital.

However, Pinto stated ICMR’s circulate to now no longer consist of the molnupiravir is possibly to do extra accurate than harm, as pills intended to be used in a completely precise subset of the populace can also additionally regularly grow to be getting used indiscriminately in India.

“It seems that each different branch is running in silos. The ICMR have to have had a phrase with CDSCO/DCGI earlier than the (molnupiravir) approval,” stated Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD & representative, pulmonology and lung transplant doctor at Manipal Hospitals in Bangalore.

Mysore says (Balram) Barghava’s (DG, ICMR) touch upon the capability indiscriminate use of the antiviral is an “insult” to clinicians.

“At this factor withinside the pandemic, I sense it is too untimely to discard this drug until a well-carried out terrible look at comes through. More so due to the fact there are only a few pills in our arsenal towards the Covid-19 fight,” stated Sanjith Saseedharan, representative & head, vital care at SL Raheja Hospital.

Swati Rajagopal, infectious disorder expert at Aster CMI Hospital in Bangalore, says that the protection of the drug is decided via way of means of DCGI and the motive for now no longer which includes it withinside the countrywide guiding principle on grounds of protection would not appear right.