FabiFlu cheaper than other drugs to treat Covid-19, claims Glenmark

The company further claimed that since favipiravir was an oral therapy, patients could be treated on an out-patient basis without incurring additional hospitalisation expenses

Glenmark on Tuesday said FabiFlu — its generic version of oral antiviral drug favipiravir — is cheaper than other drugs, including remdesivir, tocilizumab, itolizumab, etc, approved for emergency use for the treatment of Covid-19.

The Mumbai-based firm was responding to the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) letter seeking clarification over its alleged ‘false claims’ on FabiFlu’s efficacy on Covid-19 patients with comorbidities and high price of the drug, after a legislator raised these issues in a letter to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

Glenmark said these were “careless, unsubstantiated allegations devoid of merits”.

On Tuesday, Glenmark’s shares ended the day’s trade at Rs