COVID-19

Amgen reported better results for first quarter and said that they are investigating their psoriasis drug, Otezla as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

Cipla has applied for permission from DCGI to market Favipiravir in India as an experimental medicine for COVID-19. Under the guidances of ICMR, Cipla will also conduct a suitable limited trial prior to marketing the product as Ciplenza.

The University of Oxford has today announced an agreement with the UK-based global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the further development, large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate currently being trialled by the University.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a research-led, integrated global pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has received approval from the DCGI (Drug Controller General of India), the regulator in India to conduct clinical trials on Favipiravir Antiviral.

Shiv Nadar University, India’s leading multidisciplinary and research-based university, today announced a potential breakthrough solution in the global battle against COVID-19. A team of researchers led by Dr Subhabrata Sen from the Department of Chemistry, Shiv Nadar University, India along with his collaborator Professor Ralf Jockers, Institut Cochin (INSERM, CNRS, Université de Paris, France), has discovered a set of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) with the ability to cure Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) or Acute Lung Injury (ALI) induced by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) or other Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which are also caused by coronaviruses.

PGIMER Chandigarh started clinical trial  of Sepsivac on asymptomatic Coronavirus patients after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved for human trials.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration provided an update on its efforts to ensure the availability of alcohol-based sanitizer to help meet the demand for hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the agency’s significant flexibility, more than 1,500 additional manufacturers have registered with the agency to produce hand sanitizer. At the same time, the agency is addressing safety concerns related to products being sold that are not in line with the FDA’s policy and others being marketed with unproven claims.

Commission has published guidance to ensure that clinical trials can continue taking place in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to mitigate the disruption of clinical research in Europe and therefore the negative effects of the pandemic, without compromising on quality and safety. These recommendations are an important part of the overall strategy in finding treatments and a vaccine to protect citizens against the coronavirus.

EMA has endorsed a joint COVID-19 statement published today by the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) committing to a strengthening of global collaboration in the fight against coronavirus disease.