Demand for anti-virus Remdesivir and Tocilizumab has increased so much that they are no longer available in the open market, According to a BBC investigation.
This antiviral drug has been approved in India for clinical trials and also under emergency use authorization, meaning doctors can prescribe it on compassionate grounds.
But procuring them now is a kind of impossible task. But these are so difficult to find in the open market that in the end, many patients have to buy them at extreme prices.
The government authorized market value of Remdesivir is Rs 5,400. But black marketeers are charging between Rs 30,000 and Rs 38,000.
The requirement for Remdesivir is driven by the fact that it has managed to cut the duration of COVID symptoms from 15 days down to 11 in the clinical trial at hospitals around the world.
Experts have warned that it’s no “silver bullet” to stop corona. But in the absence of any proven drug or COVID-19, doctors are increasingly prescribing it in India, driving demand in Delhi and other Indian cities.
