Influenza drug found effective in tackling mild Covid-19: CDRI
CSIR-CDRI IS ALSO CARRYING OUT WHOLE GENOME ANALYSIS OF VIRUS STRAINS FROM SEVERAL HUNDRED PATIENTS AS REQUESTED BY THE STATE GOVT
LUCKNOW: Umifenovir, an influenza drug popular in Russia and China, has been found effective in the management of Covid-19 cases, a recent study of the Lucknow-based Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), has found.
CDRI, a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) institute under the ministry of science and technology, found the drug helpful in treating people with mild symptoms and has sought approval of the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) to permit the sale of the drug.
Confirming the development CDRI director Prof Tapas Kundu said, “We have successfully completed Phase III, trial of efficacy, safety and tolerability of antiviral drug Umifenovir when compared with standard care of therapy in non-severe Covid-19 patients.”
The director said that Umifenovir (Arbidol) was selected from among 16 drugs suggested for trial upon looking into the feasibility of synthesis using locally available chemicals during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in May last year.
Prof R Ravishankar, who coordinated the team, said that Umifenovir is a broad spectrum antiviral used as a safe over-the-counter drug for influenza and pneumonia for over 20 years in Russia, China and other countries.
A team of chemists from CDRI including doctors Ajay K Srivastava, Chandra Bhushan Tripathi, Nayan Ghosh and Nilanjana Majumdar synthesised Umifenovir using locally sourced raw material and transferred the technology to Medizest, a Goa-based drug manufacturing firm to make tablets for the trial.
The DCGI, in June last year, cleared Phase III trials on asymptomatic, mild and moderate Covid-19 patients in King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, and Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS). The trials were held between October 2020 and April 2021 after securing ethical approvals and completing the stability studies of the drug at CDRI. The scientists decided on a simple dose regimen of 800 mg two times a day for a maximum of 14 days.
“Umifenovir was found to inhibit the entry of the SarsCoV-2 virus (causing Covid-19) into human cells. The team has completed an independent audit of the clinical trial data and statistical analysis as per the approved DCGI protocol which shows that Umifenovir is very promising in mild-asymptomatic Covid-19 patients,” said the director. “The DGCI has also evaluated the clinical trials report and in view of the highly encouraging results, has asked the team to continue studies on more mild-asymptomatic patients for granting emergency approval of the drug,” he added.
CSIR-CDRI is also carrying out whole genome analysis of virus strains from several hundred patients as requested by the state government.
These studies are being used to analyse the spread of various Covid-19 virus strains in UP. Keeping in mind the emerging viral infections, CDRI has established a ‘Unit of Excellence in Virus Research and Therapeutics’ in collaboration with the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) and KGMU on the initiative of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.