As countries re-purpose antivirals to fight COVID-19, India allows exports

India's Health Ministry is to revoke an earlier notification and allow export of oseltamivir phosphate and zanamivir, based on the recommendations of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board and Drugs Consultative Committee.

Late last month, the drug regulator had decided to lift export restrictions on oseltamivir, the popular drug for H1N1, sold under brand name Tamiflu by Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX). While many local generic drugmakers produce oseltamivir in India, they were required to seek permission from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization before supplying the medicine to other countries.

In a recent Drugs Consultative Committee meeting, it was decided that, since swine flu was no longer prevalent and demand for the drug had come down drastically, companies should be allowed to freely export oseltamivir. Many countries are also trying to re-purpose oseltamivir for the treatment of COVID-19.

Domestic major Cipla (BSE: 500087) had launched and branded oseltamivir in India as Antiflu and zanamivir as Virenza way back in 2013. Cipla’s Antiflu is a copycat version of Roche’s Tamiflu and Virenza of GlaxoSmithKline’s (LSE: GSK) Relenza.

Both drugs, used globally to treat the H1N1 pandemic, lack patent protection in India as these are pre-1995 innovations.

Strides Arcolab (BSE: 532531), Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Roche Products, Cipla, Innovative Pharmaceuticals, Natco Pharma (BSE: 524816) and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (BSE: 532296), among others, have their oseltamivir brands in India.

Data from market research firm AIOCD-AWACS showed that sales of oseltamivir, used against the influenza virus, shot up by 35.8% in August. Similarly, drugs like tenofovir and its combinations (anti-HIV drugs) have seen significant traction. Domestic sales of the much-touted combination of lopinavir and ritonavir grew over 50% the same month.

Antivirals have also remained in demand on the export front, with Uday Bhaskar of Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council stating that demand was high as most countries were experimenting with treatment protocol for COVID-19.

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