Breaking news: DGCI approves emergency use of Zydus Cadila's Virafin for moderate COVID-19 infection

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NEW DELHI: Drugs Controller General of India, DGCI, on Friday (April 23) approved the emergency use for Zydus Cadila's Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b, ‘Virafin’ for treating moderate COVID-19 infection in adults.

Zydus says 91.15 per cent of patients treated with PegIFN were RT-PCR negative by day seven. The treatment significantly reduces the hours of supplemental oxygen in coronavirus patients.

A single-dose subcutaneous regimen of the antiviral Virafin will make the treatment more convenient for the patients. When administered early on during COVID, Virafin will help patients recover faster and avoid much of the complications. It will be available on the prescription of medical specialist for use in hospital/institutional setup, the company said in its regulatory filing.