India to seek latest data on efficacy of Gilead’s Remdesivir following USFDA nod
India’s drug regulatory authority will seek data from US-based Gilead Sciences on the latest finding on the effectiveness of its antiviral drug remdesivir in Covid-19 patients, after the US drug regulator approved it as treatment for the disease. Remdesivir is the first drug to be cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating Covid-19. The formal approval came on Thursday. While the move indicates that the drug is safe and effective for people hospitalised with Covid-19, India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) wants to assess the data before making a decision. “We will be writing to Gilead Sciences to understand the latest evidence on the effectiveness of the drug. We will then review and assess and take any further decision in this regard,” said a senior official of CDSCO. The antiviral drug, administered intravenously, is already under assessment in India, officials said, in the wake of new evidence by the World Health Organisation (WHO) ...