Raigad/Mumbai, Apr 30 (IANS): At least 90 Covid-19 patients in Maharashtras Raigad district, who were administered Remdesivir doses of a particular brand, developed severe side-effects following which the state government has imposed a temporary suspension on its use here, FDA Minister Rajendra Shingane said.
"The incident took place on Thursday in three hospitals in the district. The patients who were administered Remdesivir manufactured by the company Hetero Drugs had complained of side-effects," Shingane told IANS.
The shocking incident came to light when some patients developed chills and others complained of varying degrees of fever or other issues which were immediately addressed by the district medical authorities.
"The situation is under control and the condition of all the patients is stable now. There is no cause for worry," the minister assured.
A district official said that out of a particular Hetero batch of its Rendesivir brand 'Covifor' injection, 120 patients were given the doses out of which a staggering 90 reported the side-effects, alarming the local medical authorities.
On learning of the matter, the FDA authorities in Mumbai immediately suspended the administration of Covifor and recalled its batches till the full details of the incident are examined by the concerned medical authorities.
Those in the medical circles opined that this puts a question mark on the miracle-cure reputation of Remdesivir injections, which are in huge demand all over India with people even shelling out huge amounts to procure it from the black market.
Earlier this month, following a plea by a Mumbai barrister, Vinod Tiwari, the Centre had brought all the brands of Remdesivir under Drug Price Control Order which slashed the MRP of different brands averaging to Rs 2,450 per injection.
In his petition to the Centre, Tiwari had alleged a massive scam of over Rs 25,000-crore through haphazard MRPs being charged by the medical distribution chain exploiting lakhs of gullible customers anxious to get a dose. (IANS report - April 17).