Pune: With cases of coronavirus showing inclining trend, black-marketing of Remdesivir has become common around Pune — it is being sold for multiple times its retail price per vial.

From the past few weeks, Pune has witnessed a big demand for Remdesivir as cases are rising with rapid speed. Many hospitals have been prescribing the drug and asking relatives of patients to procure it.

Rahul (name changed) said, "They are selling Remdesivir in the black-market at an exorbitant price. My father has been in a private hospital for weeks now, so the bills are big. With the additional cost of Remdesivir, I don’t know how to afford it."

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already ordered all pharmaceutical shops in the city to sell Remdesivir after taking only 10 per cent profit on it. SB Patil, Joint Commissioner of FDA, asked the retailers, “The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked all pharma shops to sell Remdesivir after taking only 10 per cent profit on it. People must ask for a bill. Relatives of the patient should verify that is he or she overpriced for the vials."

Maharashtra receives vials of Remdesivir from seven different companies. Currently, there is a stock of 20,635 injections. Districts falling under Pune division such as Sangli, Solapur, Satara and Kolhapur also get doses from Pune district. Maximum vials of Remdesivir is allocated to Pune city, according to the officials of FDA.

WHAT IS REMDESIVIR

The anti-viral medication Remdesivir is the first drug to get a nod by the FDA to help fight SARS-CoV 2, the virus that causes coronavirus. For use in hospitalised patients only, primary data shows those with advanced COVID-19 and lung involvement recovered faster after receiving Remdesivir.

A US-based pharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences, manufactured this medicine and established through clinical trials that it helps speed up the recovery of a patient suffering with mild symptoms.