Cipla announced that it has been granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the launch of molnupiravir in the country. Cipla plans to launch molnupiravir under the brand name Cipmolnu. Molnupiravir is the first oral antiviral approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 at high risk of developing severe disease.

 Earlier in the year, Cipla entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Merck Sharpe Dohme (MSD) to manufacture and supply molnupiravir in India and to over 100 low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The regulatory approval comes on the back of a five-month collaborative trial conducted by a consortium of companies.

 Cipla will soon make Cipmolnu 200mg capsules available at all leading pharmacies and Covid treatment centres across the country. The company has adequate manufacturing capacities and a solid distribution mechanism in place to ensure speedy access to this effective treatment pan India.

 Commenting on the launch, Umang Vohra (MD and Global CEO, Cipla said, “This launch is yet another step in our endeavour to enable access to all treatments in Covid-19 care. We continue to be guided by the power of science to address the unmet needs of patients across the globe and bring care closer to the patients.”

 Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral that inhibits the replication of multiple RNA viruses including SARS-CoV-2. The drug is used for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with confirmed Covid-19 globally.