Agility to start moving Covid-19 drug Avigan (Favipiravir) in India

August 20, 2020: Global Response Aid (GRA), an affiliate of Agility, and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories will begin selling the anti-viral drug Avigan in India following a recent decision by government health authorities to approve the drug’s active ingredient, Favipiravir, for treatment of patients infected with Covid-19. 

Avigan was developed as an influenza anti-viral by FujiFilm, which has licensed GRA and Dr. Reddy’s, in July, to manufacture, distribute and sell the drug globally. Clinical trials of the drug have been conducted and are underway in the United States, Japan, China, the Middle East and other countries, where it is being used to reduce fevers and shorten recovery time in patients who receive Avigan in the early stages of infection with Covid-19.

In India, GRA and Dr. Reddy’s will look to distribute Avigan through private healthcare providers opting for a premium quality drug. The initial supply will contain the original Avigan, made in Japan.

In July, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation of India’s Directorate General of Health Services approved Favipiravir for distribution, sale and use in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Eric ten Kate, head, Life Science, GRA, said, “Generic versions of Favipiravir are available on the market in India. Our focus is getting branded Avigan, the premium version of the drug, to providers and patients who prefer the original formulation, which has a higher potency, fewer impurities and five times the shelf life. Our goal is to provide the safest, most effective version of Favipiravir available anywhere.”

Mitch Wilson, CEO, GRA, said: “This is an important milestone in the regulatory approval process for Avigan. We are expecting further approvals in the near future and will be announcing multiple manufacturing locations globally to meet the growing demand.”