‘Acute shortage of remdesivir and tocilizumab in Mumbai’

Anti-viral drug remdesivir and tocilizumab (a drug that modifies the immune system or its functioning), both prescribed for Covid-19 patients in the moderate to

Anti-viral drug remdesivir and tocilizumab (a drug that modifies the immune system or its functioning), both prescribed for Covid-19 patients in the moderate to critical stage of the illness, are in short supply with chemists and distributors in the city, according to doctors and patients. They claim that drugs are available at five to 10 times the cost in the black market. The cost of remdesivir is between ₹5,000 and ₹5,500. The printed price of tocilizumab is around ₹92,000.

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HT has accessed the prescription of a Covid-19 patient admitted in a hospital in Navi Mumbai dated July 5, when the doctor prescribed two vials of remdesivir.

Relatives of the patient said the drug was unavailable at the hospital. “We’ve been running from pillar to post to get the drug, but with no success. It’s not available anywhere,” said a relative, on the condition of anonymity. They’re still looking for the drug three days on.

Remdesivir is the only drug approved by the United States food and drug administration for treating Covid-19 patients. While tocilizumab is still imported, remdesivir has now been certified to be manufactured by two Indian companies Cipla and Hetero Drugs.

According to DR Gahane, joint commissioner of the state’s food and drug administration, Hetero has supplied two or three batches of the drug in Maharashtra and around 7,500 units in Mumbai. Cipla’s first batch is yet to arrive in hospitals.

“The demand is much higher than supply. Even people in places of power are not able to procure drugs,” said Dr Jalil Parkar, pulmonologist at Lilavati Hospital. He said that doctors prescribe at least six vials of remdesivir to treat a “moderate-to-critical” patient. “Two vials are administered on the first day and one each for the next four days,” he added.

Kin of patients are supposed to check at the hospital for the availability of the drug and then look for it outside.

With patients running from pillar to post, the shortage has given rise to a black market, said Abhay Pandey, president of the All Food and Drug Licence Holders’ Foundation.

“It is a nexus. Black-marketeers are getting these drugs prescribed for asymptomatic patients on hospital letterheads without any signature of the doctor. They stock the drugs and sell it for around ₹25,000,” he said. The foundation has written to Maharashtra FDA to investigate the matter.

However, the FDA has not come across any black-market complaints. “Our inspectors are reaching out to recovered Covid-19 patients to find out where they procured the drugs from. So far, we have not come across any patient who purchased the drug from the black market. But we are following the matter and if we find such a nexus, we will organise a raid and take necessary action,” said Gahane. Meanwhile, the FDA is monitoring the manufacture and dispatch of the drugs from the units of Cipla and Hetero. “Our focus is to improve production,” he added.