Pharma firm Searle to supply Remedesvir drug in Pakistan to combat coronavirus

• Beximco is the first company in the world who developed and introduced generic Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19.
• The partnership will provide an immediate supply of the finished product at an affordable price and will help health care providers of Pakistan to treat their hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Pharmaceutical firm Searle will supply Remedesvir drug in Pakistan after the company announced that it has entered an agreement with Bangladesh’s firm Beximco Pharmaceuticals.

“The Searle Company Limited has successfully entered into an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement with Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh,” announced the company in its filing to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday.

Beximco is the first company in the world who developed and introduced generic Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19. “Remdesivir is a direct-acting viral drug that inhibits viral RNA synthesis. It is administrated intravenously and is authorized for the treatment of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 disease.”

The company informed that the partnership will provide an immediate supply of the finished product at an affordable price and will help health care providers of Pakistan to treat their hospitalized COVID-19 patients without any delay. Searle said that it is initially planning to import Remdesivir in finished form (ready to use) to meet the country’s urgent requirements.

“Searle is actively taking the matter to the relevant authorities of Pakistan for necessary regulatory approval, Searle is confident that in the existing pandemic, the relevant authorities will consider the matter on an urgent basis to support the product availability n fastest track.”

The company added that it is also planning to donate a sizeable quantity of the drug to the Government of Pakistan.