The drug control authorities in Bangladesh have dismissed as fake the news items run by several media outlets that a few pharmaceutical companies are manufacturing drugs for coronavirus treatment with government approval.
“We’ve asked them (pharma companies) in written order not to market any drug in the name of coronavirus,” chief of the Directorate General of Drug Administration Major General Mahbubur Rahman told Bangladesh Post.
“So far there have been no drugs approved for the treatment of coronavirus,” he said.
Bangladesh confirmed 482 cases of coronavirus as of Saturday. Of them 30 died and 36 recovered.
The government is enforcing social distancing by closing everything from offices to academic activities. People have been asked to stay at home and practice health hygiene which includes washing hands with soap, covering cough and sneezes and not touching mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands to prevent the virus that attacks the respiratory system.
Different countries are testing different drugs on their own. The World Health Organisation (WHO), however, did not approve any drug so far effective for treatment of the deadly new virus, which has claimed over 1 lakh people globally.
Japan is putting forward the idea of using an old flu drug favipiravir with the trade name Avigan.
After that, few pharmaceutical companies who produce this drug in Bangladesh have been promoting in media that they have the anti-coronavirus drug in the country.
“They cannot do it,” the director general for the drug administration told Bangladesh Post.
“We asked them to keep the drug ready so that when it’s approved or when it’s found effective for treating coronavirus patients, we can use it. We did not give any license in the name of anti-coronavirus drug. We licensed that drug (favipiravir) as anti-flu,” he said.
He, however, said doctors can test the drug as part of their research. “But companies cannot promote or sell it by telling it as anti-coronavirus drug,” he asserted.
Professor of medicine at Dhaka Medical College Hospital Dr Md Titu Miah, who is involved with setting management protocols for the coronavirus patients in Bangladesh, told Bangladesh Post that they are not recommending the drug for the coronavirus patients.
“We know about it (study). A study has been conducted in Japan with a small group of patient. But that does not give us any strong evidence to use it as treatment,” he said.
“There was no randomised controlled trial (RCT) which is needed to see the effectiveness of new treatments. We don’t have any strong evidence to suggest the drug,” he said, urging people to lay stress on prevention.
An industry insider said few companies who are making the drug are using the media and other means to push the drug administration so that they approve them for selling as anti-coronavirus drug.
“Since there’ll be no harm to patients if it is used in low dose, they (companies) are applying this trick,” said an industry source wishing not to be quoted.
