Istanbul, May 16 (IANS): A Turkish company recently launched the first domestic production of a drug to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, the Demiroren news agency reported.

The production has been progressing at the facility of the pharmaceutical company in the Cerkezkoy district of Tekirdag Province, some 150 km from Istanbul, under the surveillance of about 100 scientists, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

The drug with hydroxychloroquine sulfate active ingredient is also known as malaria drug, Demiroren noted, saying the Turkish authorities have recently permitted the sale of the drug in the market.

The Turkish company would soon start producing another drug that would include favipiravir as an active ingredient against COVID-19, the agency added.

Citing the management of the company, Demiroren said the scientists would begin working on a vaccine against the novel coronavirus in the upcoming days.

Turkey has so far reported 1,635 new COVID-19 cases and 55 more deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 144,749 and the death toll to 4,007.