CSIR-IICT and Suven link up on COVID-19 drugs molnupiravir and 2-DG

Indian drugmaker Suven Pharmaceuticals (NSE: SUVENPH), CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, and CSIR-National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram. have entered into an agreement for the process technology transfer and manufacturing of the anti-COVID-19 drugs molnupiravir and 2-DG.

The agreements between the parties involve a total fee of Rs 8 lakh (~$11,000) plus taxes for the grant of the licenses on non-exclusive basis to Suven, whose shares were up 2.3% at 491.35 rupees by mid-afternoon.

Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug, was initially developed for the treatment of influenza and is repurposed to completely suppress the COVID virus transmission within 24 hours according to the study recently published in the journal Nature Microbiology. The drug could be a game changer in mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 virus.