Roche's COVID-19 antibody cocktail launched in India at Rs 59,750 per dose

Roche India and Cipla Limited, in a joint statement today, said 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. 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 MRP for the multi dose pack, each pack can treat two patients, is Rs 119,500.

The antibody cocktail is to be administered for the treatment of mild to moderate coronavirus disease in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg) who are confirmed to be infected with SARS-COV2 and are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease and do not require oxygen.

The cocktail has been shown to help these high-risk patients before their condition worsens, reducing the risk of hospitalisation and fatality by 70 per cent, the company said. As per Roche India, the antibody cocktail can potentially benefit 200,000 patients as each of the 100,000 packs that will be available in India offers treatment for two patients.

Also read: India approves Roche's antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19; Cipla to distribute the drug

Indian drugmaker Cipla will distribute the product. The drug will be available through leading hospitals and COVID treatment centres. The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recently provided an Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for the antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) in India. It has also received a EUA in the US and several EU countries.

"The availability of Antibody Cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) in India can help in minimizing hospitalisation, ease the burden on healthcare systems and play a key role in treatment of high risk patients before their condition worsens," said V Simpson Emmanuel, Managing Director and CEO, Roche Pharma India. Umang Vohra, MD & Global CEO Cipla said the company looks forward to leveraging its "solid marketing and distribution strengths in India to provide broader, equitable access to this innovative treatment option in the country".

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What's Roche's antibody cocktail

• The antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) is a medical product that can be procured after a medical prescription by a registered medical practitioner
• Casirivimab and Imdevimab can only be administered in settings in which health care providers have immediate access to medications to treat an infusion reaction, such as anaphylaxis
• The intravenous administration takes about 20 to 30 minutes. For the subcutaneous route, four syringes of 2.5 ml (2 each of Casirivimab & Imdevimab) need to be administered concurrently at four different sites on the abdomen or thigh
• Patients should be monitored during the infusion and observed for least one hour after the completion of the infusion and 15--30 minutes after the subcutaneous injection
• Each pack of antibody cocktail contains one vial of Casirivimab and one vial of Imdevimab, totaling 2,400 mg of the antibody cocktail.
• Each pack can treat two patients as the dosage per patient is a combined dose of 1,200 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 degree C to 8 degree C. If opened for the first patients' dose, a vial can be used for the second patients' dose within 48 hours if stored at 2 degree C to 8 degree C.

How to buy the product?

The antibody cocktail drug -- Casirivimab and Imdevimab -- will be available through Cipla's distribution network across the country. Healthcare institutions, both private and public can place an enquiry by reaching out to their nearest Cipla distributor.

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