NEW DELHI: Drug major Roche India on Monday announced the launch of its first batch of antibody cocktail against Coronavirus in India. The antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab)is priced at Rs 59,750 per dose and will be marketed by Cipla in the country.
The Roche’s antibody cocktail was given to then US President Donald Trump when he contracted the coronavirus disease in October last year.
“The first batch of the antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) is now available in India while a second batch will be made available by mid-June. In total they can potentially benefit 2,00,000 patients as each of the 1,00,000 packs that will be available in India offers treatment for two patients,” Cipla and Roche said in a joint statement.
The price for each patient dose [a combined dose of 1,200 mg (600 mg of Casirivimab and 600 mg of Imdevimab)] will be Rs 59,750 inclusive of all taxes. The maximum retail price for the multi dose pack (each pack can treat two patients) is Rs 1,19,500 inclusive of all taxes
As per the statement, the drug will be available through leading hospitals and Covid treatment centers.
The cocktail drug has been shown to help high-risk patients before their condition worsens — reducing the risk of hospitalisation and fatality by 70 per cent and shortening the duration of symptoms by four days.
The antibody cocktail is to be administered for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg) and who are at high risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease and do not require oxygen.
Each pack can treat two patients as the dosage per patient is a combined dose of 1200 mg (600 mg of Casirivimab and 600 mg of Imdevimab) administered by intravenous infusion or subcutaneous route. The vials need to be stored at 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius. If opened for the first patients’ dose, a vial can be used for the second patients’ dose within 48 hours if stored at 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius, the company said.