Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 14:19:25
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 156.15 2.16%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,456.50 1.10%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 432.80 1.12%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 278.05 2.58%
  1. State Bank Of India share price
  2. 758.60 3.34%
Business News/ Companies / News/  India medical regulator flags ‘major’ worries over Merck Covid-19 drug
BackBack

India medical regulator flags ‘major’ worries over Merck Covid-19 drug

While the drug regulator last week approved Merck’s molnupiravir for emergency use, the director general of Indian Council of Medical Research said the drug has major safety concerns
  • The FDA cautioned that Merck’s drug isn’t recommended for use by those who are pregnant
  • The FDA however cautioned that Merck’s drug isn’t recommended for use by those who are pregnant. (REUTERS)Premium
    The FDA however cautioned that Merck’s drug isn’t recommended for use by those who are pregnant. (REUTERS)

    The head of India’s main medical research agency said there were “major safety concerns" over Merck & Co.’s Covid-19 drug that may impede its addition to the country’s viral treatment list.

    Even though India’s drug regulator last week approved Merck’s molnupiravir for emergency use, Balram Bhargava, the director general of the state-funded Indian Council of Medical Research, said the government has yet to decide on whether to recommend molnupiravir, even as coronavirus infection rates in the country soar to more than 90,000 a day -- the highest level since mid-June.

    “This drug has major safety concerns," Bhargava told reporters late Wednesday in Delhi, flagging possible danger to unborn children as well as worries that it can cause cartilage and muscle damage. “As of now the current recommendation stands that it is not part of the national task force treatment."

    India’s hesitation comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved molnupiravir last month for emergency use, shortly after Pfizer Inc.’s rival Covid medicine was cleared by the same regulator. The FDA however cautioned that Merck’s drug isn’t recommended for use by those who are pregnant. 

    Molnupiravir works by introducing errors in genetic material to ultimately stop the virus’s replication, but it may affect growing human cells. Merck has established a pregnancy surveillance program for the drug and said men and women should use contraception while taking molnupiravir, if they’re having sex that might result in pregnancy, a warning that Bhargava repeated.

    “We have debated on it twice, we are going to have further debate on it," he said. A spokesperson for Merck in India didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Bhargava’s criticism of the drug will also likely concern India’s huge pharmaceutical industry, which has benefited from bumper Covid treatment windfalls during the pandemic. Molnupiravir is set to be manufactured by 13 Indian firms, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said last week after the drug’s regulatory nod.

     

    Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

    This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

    Catch all the Corporate news and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
    More Less
    Published: 06 Jan 2022, 11:33 AM IST
    Next Story footLogo
    Recommended For You
    Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App

    Chat with MintGenie