Roche, Cipla launch ‘Antibody Cocktail’ for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19

New Delhi: Pharmaceutical firms Roche India and Cipla on Monday (May 24) launched an “Antibody Cocktail” which can be used in the treatment of patients suffering from mild to moderate COVID-19.

Priced at Rs 59,750 per dose, the medicine consists of an amalgamation of Casirivimab and Imdevimab drugs. Cipla will take care of the distrtibution of the product.

"The first batch of the Antibody Cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) is now available in India while a second batch will be made available by mid-June. In total they can potentially benefit 2,00,000 patients as each of the 1,00,000 packs that will be available in India offers treatment for two patients," Cipla and Roche said in a joint statement, PTI reported.

“Cipla will distribute the product by leveraging its strong distribution strengths across the country,” it added.

The price for each patient for a combined dose of 1,200 mg - 600 mg of Casirivimab and 600 mg of Imdevimab - will be Rs 59,750.

The product will also be available in a multi-dose pack for a price of Rs 1,19,500.

The drug will be made available through hospitals and COVID treatment centers.

The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recently provided an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the Antibody Cocktail in India. It has also received an EUA in the US and several EU countries.

“We are optimistic that the availability of Antibody Cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) in India can help in minimising hospitalisation, ease the burden on healthcare systems and play a key role in treatment of high-risk patients before their condition worsens,” said V Simpson Emmanuel, Managing Director and CEO, Roche Pharma India.

Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO Cipla said, “We look forward to leveraging our solid marketing and distribution strengths in India to provide broader, equitable access to this innovative treatment option in the country.”

The antibody cocktail can be administered to adults and pediatric patients, 12 years of age or older and weighing at least 40 kg, who are confirmed to be infected with SARS-COV2 and are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease and do not require oxygen.

Vohra said the drug has shown to help these high-risk patients before their condition worsens, reducing the risk of hospitalisation and fatality by 70 per cent and shortening the duration of symptoms by four days.

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