Mankind Pharma’s chairman has said the company’s will launch the cheapest Molnupiravir, the Covid-19 antiviral drug, at Rs 35 per capsule, the Economic Times said in a report.

Mankind Pharma chairman RC Juneja said the full treatment of Molulife (brand name) will cost Rs 1,400. According to him, the brand is set to hit the market this week.

The recommended dose of Molnupiravir 800 mg is twice a day for five days. A patient needs to take 40 capsules containing 200 mg of medication. 13 Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Torrent, Cipla, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s, Natco, Mylan, and Hetero, will manufacture the oral pill.

The drug is approved for limited use in an emergency situation for the treatment of adult patients with a high risk of Covid-19 progression.

Molnupiravir, developed by MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, has been approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 patients who are at high risk of developing severe disease.

Cipla, Sun Pharma, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will also release Molnupiravir capsules in the coming weeks. Other companies’ full treatment of the drug is expected to cost between Rs2,000 and Rs 3,000, according to reports. The majority of the companies had entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licencing agreement with Merck Sharpe Dohme (MSD) to manufacture and supply Molnupiravir in India and over 100 other low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Cipla intends to market Molnupiravir under the Cipmolnu brand name. Cipmolnu 200mg capsules will be available in leading pharmacies and Covid treatment centres across the country in the near future. Dr. Reddy’s said it would soon launch Molnupiravir 200mg capsules in the country under the brand name Molflu.

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