Pakistan to import drug from Bangladesh for COVID-19 patients

A pharmaceutical company in Pakistan plans to import the antiviral drug remdesivir, which has shown promise in treating coronavirus patients, from Bangladesh. The firm, Searle Company Limited, made the announcement in a stock exchange filing on Friday, a day after 56 virus deaths recorded by Pakistan, its highest toll in a single day.

The company said it had entered into an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement with Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals, the first company in the world to introduce the generic variant of the drug, reports Reuters.

“Searle Pharma is planning to import remdesivir in finished form (ready to use) to meet the country’s urgent requirements,” the company told the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Searle said the Bangladesh imports would ensure an immediate supply of the drug at an affordable price, helping to eliminate treatment delays by Pakistan’s healthcare providers.