New Delhi: The Government of India has slashed the price of Remdesivir from Rs. 5,400 to Rs. 3,500 for the benefit of Corona patients and has supplied 6.69 lakh bottles to various States in the last five days, said Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda (DVS). 

He held a meeting with Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, S. Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceutical, Shubra Singh, Chairwoman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, Dr. V.G. Somani, Drug Controller General of India and Subodh Kumar, Personal Secretary here regarding production and distribution of Corona connected drugs. 

Later, in a press release, DVS said the manufacturing of Remdesivir had been increased from 28.63 lakh bottles to 41 lakh bottles per month. Steps had been taken to step up production of medicines used in the  treatment of Corona, especially Remdesivir. Six Pharmaceutical companies have bagged licence to manufacture Remdesivir injection. A month before, the production capacity of this injection was 38.8 lakh bottles and now it had been increased by another 10 lakh bottles per month, he said.

Continuing he said, the export of this injection has been banned and its distribution is likely to be streamlined in the next few days.

Thanks to Government intervention, this injection was now available for Rs. 3,500 as against Rs.5,400 a few months ago. The companies concerned have been asked to manufacture to meet the demand from hospitals. At the same time, instruction had been given to the Drugs Controllers of all States to check the black marketing of this injection, he said. 

DVS said the production of domestically manufactured vaccines was going on in expected level. The Russian-made Sputnik-5 vaccine was being imported soon, he added.