Union health ministry revised dosage of antiviral drug remdesivir for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) treatment, reducing the drug regimen from 6 to 5 days.
The loading dose of 200 mg (shot) on day 1, will now be followed by 100 mg (shot) daily for 4 days (total 5 days). Earlier, the follow up dose was for 5 days.
Remdesivir was allowed by the drugs controller of India under emergency use authorization for Covid-19 patients. The health ministry on June 14 had included it as part of investigational therapy to manage covid patients with moderate disease (those on oxygen).
On May 1 the USFDA had given Gilead authorisation for emergency use of the drug on Covid-19 patients. The emergency authorisation allows products to be used for treatment without full data on their safety and efficacy.
“As the situation evolves, and when more data become available, the evidence will be accordingly incorporated, and recommendation upgraded...Currently, these drugs should only be used in a defined subgroup of patients,” said health ministry’s revised clinical management protocol.