Pakistan permits cholorquine production, plasma therapy for coronavirus

• DRAP has also permitted clinical trials of plasma therapy for coronavirus treatment.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has allowed local production of the raw material of cholorquine as part of authorities efforts to cope up with the coronavirus pandemic that has caused havoc across the globe, informed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Dr. Zafar Mirza on Thursday.  

The SAPM in a statement said the DRAP has also permitted clinical trials of plasma therapy for coronavirus treatment. Mirza added that the drug regulatory body has also given the green signal for the clinical trials of locally manufactured ventilators.

More than fifty companies have been allowed to produce sanitizers to contain the spread of the pandemic. The companies will prepare quality sanitizers as per the directions of the World Health Organization.

Pakistan's total number of coronavirus cases reached on Thursday 4322 after several confirmed cases were reported in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad. Coronavirus has taken the lives of 63 people in Pakistan. The country has seen 572 recoveries from the deadly virus so far.