Price of COVID-19 drug Remdesivir to be capped between Rs 1100-1400 per dose: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope

Mumbai: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday (April 7) that the price of COVID-19 drug Remdesivir to be capped between Rs 1100-1400 per dose, citing the high number of daily consumption in the state,

Addressing a press conference over the COVID-19 situation in the state on Wednesday, Maharashtra Health Minister said, "The price of COVID19 drug Remdesivir to be capped between Rs 1100-1400 per dose. We need a high number of Remdesivir doses as 50,000 doses are consumed daily in the state."

Rajesh Tope further added, "We have a vaccine wastage rate of 3% in Maharashtra which is half of the national average vaccine wastage rate of 6 per cent."

The Maharashtra Health Minister hinted at the possibility of new strains of COVID-19 in the state as "some patients are showing behaviours other than routine ones."

He said, "New Strains are suspected because we are seeing other behaviours in COVID-19 patients than routine behaviours. Patients are also showing non-routine behaviours after the infection." 

"National Institute of Virology (NIV) is doing genomic sequencing of our samples. It is sending its report to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Now, NCDC will guide us about if any new protocol is to be followed for the treatment," he added. 

The state is currently consuming 50,000 doses of COVID-19 drug Remdesivir on a daily basis, but Maharashtra needs a higher number of doses.

Earlier, he said that Maharashtra is facing a vaccine shortage and has requested 40 lakh doses every week from the Centre.