First Drug of COVID-19 Started Being Sold in Bangladesh, Know How Much is the Price

Dhaka : Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. said it has become the first company in the world to start selling the generic version of antiviral drug of Gilead Sciences Inc., for the treatment of fatal coronavirus infections in developing countries. Norge Bank is also one of several investors in Dhaka-based Beximco. The company said that it would sell a bottle of Remdesivir to private clinics for about $ 71 and give it to government hospitals for free.

Rabbur Reza, the company’s chief operating officer, said in an interview that a critically ill COVID-19 patient would need at least six bottles. Under the provisions of the World Trade Organization, Bangladesh can produce the generic version of patented medicines, which provide exemptions to less developed countries from obtaining licenses.

Remdesivir was approved by the US drug regulator for emergency use in COVID-19 patients, becoming the first drug supported by early pathological data, made available to fight corona infections. Reza said that we are getting questions from other countries as well.

The drug will not be supplied through traditional distribution channels. If some governments need our medicine, we will export it. According to Johns Hopkins University data, there were over 26,000 corona-infected patients in Bangladesh as of Wednesday, while 386 people have died due to the epidemic.

Reza said the United Nations-backed Medicines patent pool is looking to find a partner for Gilead, asking Beximco if he was interested in getting a voluntary license for Remdesivir. Beximco is waiting to hear the answer.