Zenara Pharma launches nirmatrelvir, ritonavir tablets for Covid patients

Zenara Pharma on Friday announced the launch of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets in a combination pack to be used as a treatment option for patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19.

The company received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to manufacture and market this product last month, Zenara Pharma said in a statement.

The drug will be sold under the brand name 'Paxzen' and is priced at Rs 5,200 per pack containing 20 tablets of nirmatrelvir 150 mg and 10 tablets of ritonavir 100 mg, which is equivalent to one full course of treatment for a patient, it added.

It will be manufactured at Zenara's USFDA and EU-approved facility in Hyderabad, the company said.

"Our product Paxzen has been proven equivalent to Paxlovid through a bioequivalence study, based on which we have received the approval from the regulatory authorities," Zenara Pharma co-founder and Managing Director, Jagadeesh Babu Rangisetty said.

The USFDA had approved Paxlovid in December 2021 and is indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults, the company added.