Eskayef Pharmaceuticals has claimed to complete all steps to manufacture Remdesivir. However, the drug administration says the company is yet to submit its sample.
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) says the drug, used to treat coronavirus, can hit the market once they clear it after tests.
“The company will do some tests and we will do some analysis once they submit the samples,” said Ruhul Amin, a director with the DGDA.
According to him, the chemical analysis of the samples will not take much time, but it will take 14 days if a sterility test is needed.
Eskayef is among the six drugmakers in Bangladesh, who received the DGDA's approval to produce Remdesivir.
The others are, Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Incepta Pharmaceuticals, Health Care Pharmaceuticals and Square Pharmaceuticals.
“We are glad to announce that we have successfully completed all the steps to manufacture Remdesivir, so far the globally recognized only effective drug against coronavirus,” Eskayef Managing Director and CEO Simeen Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.
Remdesivir, a drug developed by Gilead Sciences in the US, has grabbed attention as one of the most promising treatments for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 250,000 people.
Eskayef is set to submit its sample to the DGDA on Sunday, said its Director (marketing and sales) Mohammad Mujahidul Islam.
Remdesivir will hit the market once the tests by DGDA is complete, he added.
“However, the drug will only be available at some hospitals and institutions, not in pharmacies,” said Islam.